Cricket heavyweights to play in 'marquee' NZ summer
Photo:
AAP / www.photosport.nz
New Zealand Cricket's home 'summer' will begin on the first day of October in a schedule dominated by white-ball cricket.
The Black Caps will host Australia, England, the West Indies, and South Africa in a packed home season across multiple formats with the first three sides arriving before Christmas.
It will be the first time since 2020 that the West Indies have played the Black Caps in New Zealand. Australia were last on this side of the ditch in 2024 as were England and South Africa.
The White Ferns will come home from the Cricket World Cup, which wraps up in early November, to a stacked home summer including a first-ever series against Zimbabwe and a re-match with their 2024 T20 World Cup finals opponents South Africa.
Suzie Bates plays an attacking shot for the White Ferns during their ICC Women's T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Dubai.
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
There will 46 days of international cricket played at nine venues throughout the country: Eden Park (Auckland), Seddon Park (Hamilton), Bay Oval (Tauranga), McLean Park (Napier), Sky Stadium (Wellington), Cello Basin Reserve (Wellington), Saxton Oval (Nelson), Hagley Oval (Christchurch) and the University of Otago Oval (Dunedin).
The Black Caps' white-ball challenges comprise three T20Is against Australia in Mount Maunganui in early October, followed by three T20Is and three ODIs against England, and a five match T20I series and a three-game ODI series against the West Indies.
Only three test matches will be played over the home summer, all against the West Indies, in December at Hagley Oval, Basin Reserve and Bay Oval.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink said it was "great to welcome such a diverse range of opponents" to New Zealand.
"Fans will see top-tier cricket across all our major centres, with the doubleheaders against South Africa offering a chance to watch the very best female and male cricketers in the world on display in a unique day-out experience.
"We're thrilled to build this exciting home summer around the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and on the back of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, giving our players a chance to shine on the global stage as well as at home in front of their own fans."
Pace-bowler Kyle Jamieson said it was exciting to have some of the best teams in the world coming to New Zealand.
"It feels like a marquee summer. The calibre of opposition means we'll be constantly tested for the duration of the season and that's what you want as a cricketer."
White Ferns rising star Georgia Plimmer said her side had plenty to look forward to.
"We want to play as much cricket as we can, especially in front of our home fans and it's exciting to have a 14-game home summer to prepare for.
"It's great to see more T20I doubleheaders as they are such a great experience for teams and fans alike and it was awesome to see such strong crowds last season."
Bay Oval, Tauranga
Photo:
Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz
Black Caps v Australia
1st T20I, Bay Oval, Wednesday, 1 October 2025, 19:15
2nd T20I, Bay Oval, Friday, 3 October 2025, 19:15
3rd T20I, Bay Oval, Saturday, 4 October 2025, 19:15
Black Caps v England
1st T20I, Hagley Oval, Saturday, 18 October 2025, 19:15
2nd T20I, Hagley Oval, Monday, 20 October 2025, 19:15
3rd T20I, Eden Park, Thursday, 23 October 2025, 19:15
1st ODI, Bay Oval, Sunday, 26 October 2025, 14:00
2nd ODI, Seddon Park, Wednesday, 29 October 2025, 14:00
3rd ODI, Sky Stadium, Saturday, 1 November 2025, 14:00
Black Caps v West Indies
1st T20I, Eden Park, Wednesday, 5 November 2025, 19:15
2nd T20I, Eden Park, Thursday, 6 November 2025, 19:15
3rd T20I, Saxton Oval, Sunday, 9 November 2025, 13:15
4th T20I, Saxton Oval, Monday, 10 November 2025, 13:15
5th T20I, University of Otago Oval, Thursday, 13 November 2025, 13:15
1st ODI, Hagley Oval, Sunday, 16 November 2025, 14:00
2nd ODI, McLean Park, Wednesday, 19 November 2025, 14:00
3rd ODI, Seddon Park, Saturday, 22 November 2025, 14:00
3-dayer, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Wednesday, 26 - Friday, 28 November 2025, 11:00
1st Test, Hagley Oval, Tuesday 2 - Saturday 6 December 2025, 11:00
2nd Test, Cello Basin Reserve, Wednesday 10 - Sunday 14 December 2025, 11:00
3rd Test, Bay Oval, Thursday 18 - Monday 22 December 2025, 11:00
White Ferns v Zimbabwe
1st T20I, Seddon Park, Wednesday 25 February 2026, 19:15
2nd T20I, Seddon Park, Friday 27 February 2026, 19:15
3rd T20I, Seddon Park, Sunday, 1 March 2026, 13:15
1st ODI, University of Otago Oval, Thursday, 5 March 2026, 11:00
2nd ODI, University of Otago Oval, Sunday, 8 March 2026, 11:00
3rd ODI, University of Otago Oval, Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 11:00
White Ferns and Black Caps v South Africa - T20I Doubleheaders
1st T20I, Bay Oval, Sunday, 15 March 2026, 14:45 & 19:15
2nd T20I, Seddon Park, Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 14:45 & 19:15
3rd T20I, Eden Park, Friday, 20 March 2026, 14:45 & 19:15
4th T20I, Sky Stadium, Sunday, 22 March 2026, 14:45 & 19:15
5th T20I, Hagley Oval, Wednesday, 25 March 2026, 14:45 & 19:15
White Ferns v South Africa
1st ODI, Hagley Oval, Sunday, 29 March 2026, 14:00
2nd ODI, Basin Reserve, Wednesday, 1 April 2026, 11:00
3rd ODI, Basin Reserve, Saturday, 4 April 2026, 11:0
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