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The 2020–21 Plunket Shield was the 92nd season of the Plunket Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition in New Zealand. It started on 19 October 2020 and finished on 6 April 2021. Wellington were the defending champions.

On 15 June 2020, New Zealand Cricket announced the first round of contracts for domestic teams ahead of the 2020–21 season. The full schedule for the tournament was confirmed on 8 October 2020.

The season started on 19 October 2020, with the opening two matches affected by the weather, with them both ending early during the tea break on the first day. In the match between Auckland and Otago, Auckland's Ben Lister became the first COVID-19 replacement in a cricket match. Lister replaced Mark Chapman, who reported feeling unwell, inline with the updated International Cricket Council (ICC) playing conditions for a substitute due to COVID.

Canterbury won the tournament with two rounds of matches to play, winning their first title since the 2016–17 season.

Points table

  Champions

Fixtures

Round 1

• Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
• Only 41.3 overs were bowled on the first three days due to rain.
• After rain washed out most of the match, both teams agreed to forfeit an innings in an attempt to produce a result.
• Points: Central Districts 15, Northern District 2

• Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
• Only 19.1 overs were bowled on day 1 due to rain.
• Points: Canterbury 16, Wellington 4

• Auckland won the toss and elected to field.
• Ollie Pringle (Auckland) made his first-class debut.
• In the first innings of the match, Ben Lister replaced Mark Chapman as a COVID-19 substitute in Auckland's squad.
• Points: Auckland 18, Otago 3

Round 2

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Northern Districts 19, Otago 4.

• Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
• Joey Field (Central Districts) made his first-class debut.
• George Worker (Central Districts) played in his 100th first-class match.
• Kyle Jamieson (Auckland) took a hat-trick.
• Points: Auckland 16, Central Districts 4.

• Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
• Fraser Sheat (Canterbury) took his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
• Jamie Gibson (Wellington) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
• Will Williams (Cantebury) took his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
• Points: Canterbury 20, Wellington 2.

Round 3

• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Auckland 4, Central Districts 4.

• Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
• Tom Blundell (Wellington) was given out obstructing the field.
• Points: Otago 18, Wellington 5.

• Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat.
• Sean Davey (Canterbury) made his first-class debut.
• Points: Canterbury 18, Northern Districts 4.

Round 4

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Northern Districts 17, Central Districts 4.

• Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Wellington 7, Auckland 3.

• Otago won the toss and elected to bat.
• Daryl Mitchell (Canterbury) took his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
• Points: Canterbury 8, Otago 1.

Round 5

• Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
• No play was possible on day 1 due to rain.
• Luke Georgeson (Wellington) made his first-class debut.

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
• No play was possible on days 1 and 3 due to rain.
• Ross ter Braak (Auckland) made his first-class debut.
• Louis Delport (Auckland) took a hat-trick.

• Otago won the toss and elected to field.

Round 6

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
• Troy Johnson (Wellington) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.

• Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
• No play was possible on day 4 due to rain.
• Angus McKenzie (Otago) and Cole Briggs (Auckland) both made their first-class debuts.

• Central Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
• Jayden Lennox (Central Districts) made his first-class debut.

Round 7

• Otago won the toss and elected to bat.
• Michael Rae (Otago) took a hat-trick.

• Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
• Harry Chamberlain (Canterbury) and Ryan Harrison (Auckland) both made their first-class debuts.

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
• No play was possible on days 3 and 4 due to rain.
• Matthew Fisher (Northern Districts) made his first-class debut.

Round 8

• Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.

• Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.

• Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.

References

1. "Plunket Shield 2020–21" (PDF). New Zealand Cricket. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
2. "Coronavirus: Plunket Shield cancelled, Wellington Firebirds declared champions". Stuff. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
3. "Wellington awarded Plunket Shield as final rounds of competition are cancelled". The Cricketer. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
4. "Daryl Mitchell, Jeet Raval and Finn Allen among major domestic movers in New Zealand". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
5. "Auckland lose Jeet Raval to Northern Districts, Finn Allen to Wellington in domestic contracts". Stuff. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
6. "Professional cricket set to resume in new COVID-19 world". Cricket New Zealand. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
7. "New Zealand domestic season to begin on October 19 with Plunket Shield". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
8. "Plunket Shield: Rain dominates as domestic first-class cricket season gets underway". Stuff. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
9. "Auckland seamer Ben Lister becomes first Covid-19 replacement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
10. "Ben Lister becomes first 'COVID replacement' in cricket". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
11. "Plunket Shield: Canterbury secure first four-day title since 2017 after thumping Central Stags". Stuff. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
12. "Plunket Shield Table - 2020–21". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
13. "Plunket Shield: Kyle Jamieson, Sean Solia help Auckland steamroll Otago". Stuff. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
14. "Plunket Shield: Black Caps quick Kyle Jamieson snares impressive five-wicket bag". Stuff. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
15. "Century Awaits George Worker". Central Districts Cricket Association. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
16. "Kyle Jamieson's hat-trick continues prolific start to season for New Zealand quick". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
17. "Bowlers reign despite Joe Carter's unbeaten century in Plunket Shield". Stuff. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
18. ^ "Plunket Shield: Doug Bracewell's stunning all-round performance in vain as Auckland win again". Stuff. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
19. "Tom Blundell out in bizarre manner in Plunket Shield fixture". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
20. "Marathon innings from Max Chu rescues draw for Otago Volts against Canterbury". Stuff. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
21. "Louis Delport snares Plunket Shield hat-trick; Canterbury, Central Stags secure wins". Stuff. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
22. "Plunket Shield: Troy Johnson's maiden first-class century guides Wellington to strong position". Stuff. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
23. "Plunket Shield: Otago's Michael Rae, Dale Phillips combine for rare bowler-fielder hat-trick". Stuff. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

External links

• Series home at ESPN Cricinfo

• Plunket Shield
• 2020–21 New Zealand cricket season
• Domestic cricket competitions in 2020–21