New Zealand to keep trailing day-night first class matches

TIL Desk Sports/ New Zealand Cricket appear to be pushing ahead with plans to trial day-night first class matches as they build towards hosting their inaugural pink ball home Test against England in 2018.

NZC released their 2016-17 domestic fixture list on Tuesday and Wellington Regional Stadium, which has never hosted a first class match and has been used solely for day-night limited-overs international cricket, is to host one of the Plunket Shield games scheduled to begin on March 6. Auckland’s Eden Park and Hamilton’s Seddon Park, both of which have lights, will also host matches starting on March 6.

All three games have not had their start times confirmed, while every other Plunket Shield match in the 2016-17 season has a traditional start time of 10:30 am (2130 GMT). Only one of the other venues scheduled to host first class cricket this season, Napier’s McLean Park, has lights. All of the Plunket Shield matches there are scheduled as day games. NZC said they hope to play their first day-night Test match at home against England in 2018.