State domestic cricket programme confirmed
New Zealand Cricket - 9 August 2002

New Zealand Cricket today announced its programmes for the four State domestic cricket competitions for the 2002/03 season.

The State Max Competition, to be played at Lloyd Elsmore Park Auckland on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November, will herald the start of the domestic season.

The competition was an appropriate way to start the domestic season New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said.

"The State Max weekend provides a festive start to what I'm sure will be another fantastic season of State domestic cricket and reflects our desire to promote an action-packed, short form of cricket," Snedden said.

"Last year was State's first sponsoring domestic cricket in New Zealand and I believe we saw reinvigorated and more exciting competitions.

"This year, both State and New Zealand Cricket are determined to build on last year's success and deliver an even better domestic cricket product for the 2002/03 season."

The first match of the State Championship, the four-day men's competition, will start on Saturday 23 November and last games of the 10 round competition will start on Monday 17 March.

Five of the rounds of the State Championship have been scheduled mid-week to allow as many representative players as possible to play for their club sides on weekends.

"New Zealand Cricket supports representative players turning out for their club sides when ever possible and we have tried to balance a very busy domestic schedule to facilitate this as often as we can," New Zealand Cricket operations manager John Reid said.

The first games of the ten round State Shield, the national men's domestic one-day competition, will be played on Saturday 28 December and the final round will be played on Sunday 26 January.

According to Reid there will be plenty of opportunity for people to watch New Zealand's premier players competing in the State Shield live at the various grounds around the country.

"I encourage people to go to their local ground and support their teams," Reid said.

"For those who are unable to do this there will also be the opportunity to view the last five rounds of the State Shield, as well as the semi-finals and final, live on SKY Television."

The State League, the women's domestic one-day competition, will start on Saturday 7 December with the final scheduled to be played on Saturday 22 February.

There is a month long break in this competition between 14 January and 15 February to allow for the TelstraClear White Ferns involvement in a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand with Australia, England and India.

"We want the international players involved in the State League so we have factored this into the programme," Reid said.

The winners of last season's State domestic competitions are:

State Championship - State Auckland Aces
State League - State Auckland Hearts
State Shield - State Wellington Firebirds
State Max - State Wellington Firebirds

© New Zealand Cricket


Teams New Zealand.
Players/Umpires Martin Snedden, John Reid.
Tournaments State Max State Championship State Shield State League