Auckland Aces fans will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy first-class cricket this summer, with the 2026/27 Plunket Shield schedule confirmed today.

The Aces will begin their campaign against Northern Districts at Seddon Park in Hamilton from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, before returning home for back-to-back matches at Kennards Hire Community Oval.

Auckland will host defending champions Canterbury from Saturday 28 November to Tuesday 1 December, before welcoming the Wellington Firebirds from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 December.

The Aces will then break from Plunket Shield action for the summer's white-ball competitions, returning to first-class cricket in March for the second half of their campaign.

Auckland will open the second half of the season against Otago in Dunedin from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 March, before making history with the return of Plunket Shield cricket to the newly redeveloped Colin Maiden Park.

The Aces will host the Central Stags at Colin Maiden Park from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 March, marking the first Plunket Shield match at the venue since 2023.
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Auckland will then travel to Christchurch to face Canterbury from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 March, before closing out their campaign at home against Otago from Friday 26 to Monday 29 March.

The return to Colin Maiden Park will provide a major milestone for Auckland Cricket, with the newly redeveloped venue set to become the Aces' new home from 2027.

The eight-round Plunket Shield season will see all six teams play 24 matches, with the competition returning for its 101st season.

The domestic first-class campaign will run alongside a busy summer of international red-ball cricket, including the BLACKCAPS' Test series against India and Sri Lanka, while New Zealand A will also host India A in three four-day matches in Christchurch from October.

All Plunket Shield matches are free entry, with live scoring available via NZC and every match streamed live on the NZC YouTube channel.

Auckland Aces 2026/27 Plunket Shield schedule

Round 1
Northern Districts v Auckland Aces | 19–22 November | Seddon Park, Hamilton

Round 2
Auckland Aces v Canterbury | 28 November–1 December | Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland

Round 3
Auckland Aces v Wellington Firebirds | 7–10 December | Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland

Round 4
Central Stags v Auckland Aces | 15–18 December | McLean Park, Napier

Round 5
Otago v Auckland Aces | 1–4 March | University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

Round 6
Auckland Aces v Central Stags | 10–13 March | Colin Maiden Park, Auckland

Round 7
Canterbury v Auckland Aces | 18–21 March | Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Round 8
Auckland Aces v Otago | 26–29 March | Colin Maiden Park, Auckland

Article added: Tuesday 01 September 2026