White ball international cricket dominates this summer

The first Black Caps match of the summer against England in Christchurch is one of just three home tests scheduled next season.

New Zealand Cricket has released its men’s and women’s schedules for the upcoming season – and England’s pre-Christmas series will provide Black Caps fans with their only test cricket of the home summer.

Men’s and women’s white ball matches dominate the calendar, which includes the three tests against England then 26 Twenty20 and one-day internationals from mid-December to early April, played at eight different venues.

There will be five double-headers featuring the Black Caps and White Ferns, with all of the men’s team’s T20 matches against Pakistan in March played straight after a women’s international at the same venue.

Black Caps

The men’s summer will start with the November-December three-test series against England, which had already been announced, to allow travelling supporters to organise bookings. The first test will be at Christchurch’s Hagley Park from November 28 to December 2.

A two-week visit from Sri Lanka either side of New Year’s Day will have three T20s, followed by three ODIs.

The Black Caps then fly to Pakistan in February for a tri-series against the hosts and South Africa before heading straight into the Champions Trophy tournament also in Pakistan.

More short-format cricket follows when the New Zealand men return home, with the five T20s against Pakistan, followed by three ODIs against the same nation.

White Ferns

The Rose Bowl will be up for grabs when the New Zealand women host Australia in an ODI series leading up to Christmas, with all three matches at the Basin Reserve.

Sri Lanka’s visit in March will comprise three ODIs, followed by three T20s, before Australia returns later that month for three T20s.

Offshore tests

The Black Caps have a heavy test diet for the remainder of this year, leading up to the arrival of England.

They face Afghanistan in a one-off test in India in September, followed by two tests in Sri Lanka and three more against the host nation in India.

There is also a six-match white ball visit to Sri Lanka before the New Zealanders return home.

New Zealand Cricket summer schedule

(* indicates double a header)

BLACK CAPS

Test series v England

– Nov 28-Dec 2, Christchurch

– Dec 6-10, Wellington

– Dec 14-18, Hamilton

T20I series v Sri Lanka

– Dec 28, Tauranga

– Dec 30, Tauranga

– Jan 2, Nelson

ODI series v Sri Lanka

– Jan 5, Wellington

– Jan 8, Hamilton

– Jan 11, Auckland

T20I series v Pakistan

– March 16, Christchurch*

– March 18, Dunedin*

– March 21, Auckland*

– March 23, Tauranga*

– March 26, Wellington*

ODI series v Pakistan

– March 29, Napier

– April 2, Hamilton

– April 5, Tauranga

WHITE FERNS

ODI series v Australia

– Dec 19, Wellington

– Dec 21, Wellington

– Dec 23, Wellington

ODI series v Sri Lanka

– March 4, Napier

– March 7, Nelson

– March 9, Nelson

T20I series v Sri Lanka

– March 14, Christchurch

– March 16, Christchurch*

– March 18, Christchurch*

T20I series v Australia

– March 21, Auckland*

– March 23, Tauranga*

– March 26, Wellington*

-With RNZ