2021–22 Plunket Shield season explained

2021–22 Plunket Shield
Fromdate:	23 October 2021
Todate:	15 April 2022
Cricket Format:	First-class
Tournament Format:	Round-robin
Champions:	Auckland
Count:	24
Participants:	6
Matches:	24
Most Runs:	Tom Bruce (858)
Most Wickets:	Brett Randell (31) Nathan Smith (31)
Previous Year:	2020–21
Previous Tournament:	2020–21 Plunket Shield season
Next Year:	2022–23
Next Tournament:	2022–23 Plunket Shield season

The 2021–22 Plunket Shield was the 93rd season of the Plunket Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition that was played in New Zealand.^[1] The tournament took place from October 2021 to April 2022.^[2] In July 2021, New Zealand Cricket named all the squads for the domestic teams ahead of the 2021–22 season.^[3] Canterbury were the defending champions.^[4]

In September 2021, New Zealand Cricket announced the schedule for the tournament.^[5] However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, two of the opening round fixtures were postponed,^[6] and were rescheduled for a later date.^[7] Auckland won the tournament during the penultimate round of matches,^[8] after the match between Northern Districts and Central Districts ended in a draw due to positive COVID-19 cases in the Northern Districts' team.^[9] As a result of the COVID-19 cases, Northern Districts had 19 players unavailable for their final match of the season, with seven players making their first-class debut.^[10] It was the highest number of debutants in the same match for Northern Districts since their inaugural first-class fixture in 1956.^[11]

Points table

Team^[12]
Auckland	8	5	1	1	1	104	13.00
Canterbury	8	4	1	3	0	92	11.50
Northern Districts	7	3	3	0	1	68	9.71
Central Districts	7	1	2	4	0	56	8.00
	8	2	4	2	0	61	7.62
Wellington	8	2	6	0	0	58	7.25

Champions. Teams were ranked by average points per completed match, including abandoned matches, which earned four points, but the regulations excluded the Covid-affected draw between Northern Districts and Central Districts from the calculations.^[13]

Fixtures

2021

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2022

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External links

• Series home at ESPN Cricinfo

Notes and References

1. Web site: Allrounder added to Central Stags roster - Central Districts Cricket . Voxy . 7 July 2021.
2. Web site: Plunket Shield 2021–22 . New Zealand Cricket . 27 September 2021.
3. Web site: All the New Zealand domestic squads for the 2021-22 season . ESPN Cricinfo . 7 July 2021.
4. Web site: Plunket Shield: Canterbury secure first four-day title since 2017 after thumping Central Stags . Stuff . 21 March 2021.
5. Web site: Covid Curveballs delay Domestic Cricket . Cricket New Zealand . 27 September 2021.
6. Web site: Lockdown disruption to start of New Zealand domestic season . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2021.
7. Web site: Auckland, Northern Districts teams to miss opening rounds of domestic cricket due to lockdown . Stuff . 27 September 2021.
8. Web site: Plunket Shield: Auckland Aces are New Zealand's first class champions despite Covid-19 ravaged season . Stuff . 6 April 2022.
9. Web site: Northern Districts' Covid-19 cases force Plunket Shield match to be canned, Auckland clinch title . Stuff . 1 April 2022.
10. Web site: Peter Drysdale makes first-class debut aged 33 with 19 ND players unavailable . Stuff . 6 April 2022.
11. Web site: Auckland secures Plunket Shield in style . Otago Daily Times . 8 April 2022.
12. Web site: Plunket Shield Table - 2021–22 . ESPN Cricinfo . 15 April 2022.
13. Web site: Season finale: a battle of the spinners . NZC . 3 December 2022.