State Championship signals start of first-class season on Monday

The State Championship, New Zealand's premier four-day domestic cricket competition, begins on Monday (26 November).

It's the first year State has sponsored the competition, which has been known since the summer of 1975/76 as the Shell Trophy.

On Monday New Zealand's six first-class cricket teams will play the first of ten scheduled rounds of four-day cricket.

During the State Championship all teams will play each other twice, with the team who has accrued the most championship points at the completion of the ten rounds declared the State Championship titleholder.

The State Wellington Firebirds are the current titleholders.

The points system is designed to encourage teams to strive for outright wins - with six points awarded to the side who achieves outright victory at the completion of two innings and only two points if a side has a first innings lead that is not converted into an outright win.

CEO, Martin Snedden, says New Zealand Cricket has been focusing on raising the standards of domestic cricket in all areas.

"As an organisation we've concentrated on trying to improve all aspects of domestic cricket.

"I'm confident we'll see advances at an administrative and marketing level as well as in the quality of the cricket played," he said.

The draw for the first round of the State Championship starting Monday, 26 November is:

State Auckland Aces v State Central Stags at Eden Park Oval, Auckland.

State Canterbury Wizards v State Wellington Firebirds at Dudley Park, Rangiora.

State Otago Volts v State Northern Nights at Carisbrook, Dunedin.