NATIONAL SCHOOL TOURNAMENTS

SCHOOLS CRICKET


• Each season there's a chance to be crowned the top school cricket XI in New Zealand

• CD is represented at each of NZC's three national School Cricket Finals tournaments by our regional champion


• NZC also selects New Zealand Māori Secondary Schools (Rangatahi) girls' and boys' teams to compete in annual fixtures




NZC FIRST XI CUP - GIRLS

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The major goal for Secondary Girls' First XIs in the country, for Years 9 to 13 schoolgirls, this national title-fight was, until recently, known as the Venus Cup


Participating teams enter the competition within their region in term one of the school year, playing against nearby schools

Winning teams advance to their regional finals to find our annual regional representative, with all matches played in the T20 format




2025 CD FINALS

CHAMPION: Palmerston North Girls' High School


The 2024/25 CD First XI Cup Finals were held from 26-28 March 2025 at Tasman Tanning Victoria Park in Whanganui with the six Finalists playing a Round Robin on the first two and a half days, followed by the 1v2 Final on the Friday afternoon (28 March)


The CD Finalists this season were:


     • New Plymouth Girls' High School

     • Palmerston North Girls' High School

     • St Matthew's Collegiate, Masterton

     • Sacred Heart College (New Plymouth)

     • Wairarapa College

     • Woodford House (Hawke's Bay)



The six regional winners from around the country, including CD, head to the national finals that are held in term four of the school year (usually in December, in Lincoln, Canterbury or as otherwise advised)





2024 CD CHAMPION :

PALMERSTON NORTH GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL


Term one of 2024 saw CD's top four qualifying schools compete at Palmerston North's Fitzherbert Park on 27 March 2024

Finalists were Woodford House (Hawke's Bay) who played Masterton's St Matthew's Collegiate in the first T20 Semi-Final, and Palmerston North Girls' High and New Plymouth Girls' High who met in the other Semi-Final

PNGHS and defending champion (and defending national champs) St Matthew's Collegiate won through to the afternoon's 2023/24 Final

2024 CD Champion PNGHS won the CD Final and will represent us at the National Finals on 19-21 December 2024

NZC FIRST XI CUP - BOYS

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Formerly known as the Gillette Cup, this long-running national competition is for Secondary School First XIs is for Years 9 to 13


In Term One, schools compete locally to qualify for the CD Finals.

Making the CD Finals provides boys with a great opportunity to compete against some of the other best young players of their generation.

For the winner of the CD regional title, there's also a chance to play against the best schools and young cricket stars from right across New Zealand at NZC's national First XI Cup Finals, held in Term 3 each year, usually hosted by NZC in Lincoln, Canterbury or as otherwise advised.

Over the years, many first-class cricketers, Central Stags, and BLACKCAPS have made their name in this long-running tournament, and it's a special trophy to win with your schoolmates.



NZC FIRST XI CUP - BOYS

____________________________


Formerly known as the Gillette Cup, this long-running national competition is for Secondary School First XIs is for Years 9 to 13


In Term One, schools compete locally to qualify for the CD Finals.

Making the CD Finals provides boys with a great opportunity to compete against some of the other best young players of their generation.

For the winner of the CD regional title, there's also a chance to play against the best schools and young cricket stars from right across New Zealand at NZC's national First XI Cup Finals, held in Term 3 each year, usually hosted by NZC in Lincoln, Canterbury or as otherwise advised.

Over the years, many first-class cricketers, Central Stags, and BLACKCAPS have made their name in this long-running tournament, and it's a special trophy to win with your schoolmates.



2025 CD FINALS

The 2024/25 CD First XI Cup Finals was held on 25 March 2025 at Tasman Tanning Victoria Park in Whanganui


The Finals were originally to be played in the one-day format with semi-finals on 24 March.

However, due to rain, all matches became T20s on 25 March, with Semi-Finals between Palmerston North Boys' High and New Plymouth Boys' High; and Napier Boys' High and Nelson College, in the morning; followed by the Grand FInal and 3v4 playoff in the afternoon.


Napier Boys' High School and Palmerston North Boys' High School progressed to a thrilling and closely contested Grand Final. Napier Boys' High needed 7 off the last over to win, and when Bruno Moriarty hit a six to win it, Napier Boys' became back-to-back champions!



ARCHIVES:

PREVIOUS SUMMERS


JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BOYS

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This was a national NZC competition for Years 9 and 10 schoolboys that ran until the 2023/24 season. CD had a strong record at this level.

Boys participated as Year 9 during the first stage (October to December) and then as Years 9 and 10 during the second stage of the competition (term one of the following year; January to March)

2023/24 CD QUALIFIER

WHANGANUI COLLEGIATE earned the right to represent CD at the 2024 NZC Nationals, defeating the previous year's CD champion NAPIER BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL in the 2024 CD Final

2023/24 NATIONAL FINALS

CD Cricket hosted the last 2024 NZC Junior Secondary School Boys national finals in Palmerston North in March, at Fitzherbert and Manawaroa Parks

Matches were 40 overs per team in a round robin format. Wellington College became the last champion - read more here



VENUS CUP • RECENT HISTORY


• 2023 CD FINALS

A special year for ST MATTHEW'S COLLEGIATE

ST MATTS from Masterton defeated PALMERSTON NORTH GIRLS' HIGH in the CD Grand Final to earn the tickets to Nationals - and went on to become national champions!

Find results here



After having qualified through the 2022/23 CD Finals, St Matthew's Collegiate created a slice of history with a record-breaking display at the 2023 Venus Cup National Finals

The Venus Cup took place from 11 to 13 December 2023 at Lincoln as they won the Venus Cup undefeated!


St  Matts showed what a great team, great support and a great cricket programme is all about

Captain and Central Hinds rep EMMA McLEOD led from the front, scoring the first - and then the second T20 centuries in the history of these national finals

Emma was named as one of the tournament MVPs, alongside Takapuna Grammar and Auckland rep, Rishika Jaswal.

AVA REGISTER was named St Matt's team MVP



• 2022 CD FINALS

(RESCHEDULED FROM THE 2021/22 SEASON)


Our 2021/22 CD Regional Finals were originally due to be played in March 2022, but the Omicron outbreak meant the T20 Finals had to be postponed until the following season: November 2022, in Term 4

The four teams playing for the CD title - and berth at the Venus nationals were NEW PLYMOUTH GIRLS' HIGH, NAPIER GIRLS' HIGH, PALMERSTON NORTH GIRLS' HIGH and ST MATTHEW'S COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

NPGHS and ST MATT's won their way through to the CD Final. As expected, St Matt's put up a great fight, but it was New Plymouth Girls' High who won the crown, and went on to represent CD at the end of 2022

Cricket PLAYHQ hub


• 2021 CD FINALS

ST MATTHEW'S COLLEGIATE SCHOOL made the CD Regional Final in March 2021 and defeated PALMERSTON NORTH GIRLS' HIGH in the regional Final at Fitzherbert Park to win the right - for the third season in a row - to represent CD at the 2021 Venus Cup nationals




GILLETTE CUP

RECENT CHAMPIONS


2024 CD REGIONAL FINALS

CHAMPION:

Napier Boys' High School


The 2023/24 CD finals took place at Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North on 25-26 March 2024 - all players braving an unseasonally cold couple of days!

PALMERSTON NORTH BOYS' HIGH defeated NELSON COLLEGE, and NAPIER BOYS' HIGH defeated NEW PLYMOUTH BOYS' HIGH in two exciting semi-finals.

NAPIER BOYS' HIGH then defeated defending champs PALMERSTON NORTH BOYS' HIGH to win this year's CD ticket to the National Finals on 11-16 December 2024 in Lincoln, Canterbury

SCORES AND RESULTS



2023 CD REGIONAL FINALS

CHAMPION:

Palmerston North Boys' High School


Palmerston North Boys' High School contested the NZC Gillette Cup nationals in Lincoln in December 2023

The previous summer had seen Palmerston North Boys' High defeat New Plymouth Boys' High in a close-fought CD final, while defending champion Napier Boys' High and Nelson College played off for third

Find the match results here



JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BOYS • PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS


NAPIER BOYS' HIGH won the 2022/23 CD Final to represent CD at NZC's Nationals

The National tournament was again hosted by CDCA in Palmerston North in March 2023. NBHS had a strong tournament, finsihing third among NZ's six top schools


NAPIER BOYS' represented us at the 2020/21 NZC Junior Secondary School Nationals, hosted by CDCA in Palmerston North in March 2021. NBHS again enjoyed a strong tournament, dropping just one match as they finished as the national runner-up behind champions Auckland Grammar


NEW PLYMOUTH BOYS' HIGH won a very tight CD Final against NAPIER BOYS' HIGH to become the 2019/20 CD champion. Sadly, this team was unable to travel and contest the national title as the NZC tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19

ANZ NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL CUP - discontinued in 2022

This was a competition for primary and intermediate schoolboys. It provided boys with the opportunity to play cricket amongst friends and test their skills against schools from within their region and, if successful, the other best teams in the country

CD won this national title in 2018/19, Huntley School putting in a strong performance for the trophy

In both 2019/20 and 2020/21, CD's representative was Hereworth School from Havelock North in Hawke's Bay. We were delighted to see another strong performance on both occasions. Hereworth claimed the runners-up medal in both 2019 and 2020, Micky Peacock named tournamanent as the 2019 tournament MVP


The 2020/21 regional CD Finals, and the Ross Taylor Bat, were held on 7 April 2021. Francis Douglas Memorial College, Huntley School, Masterton Intermediate and Havelock North took part

Havelock North Intermediate (below) won our Primary Cup playoffs, defeating the Francis Douglas Memorial College boys in the final

The ANZ National Primary Cup has now been superceded by other NZC programmes designed for primary and intermediate school players


ANZ NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL SHIELD - discontinued in 2022

Replaced by new, targeted NZC programmes, this was the competition for primary and intermediate schoolgirls. It provided girls with the opportunity to play cricket amongst friends and test their skills against schools from within their region and, if successful, the other best teams in the country


Masterton's St Matthew's Collegiate was CD's representative at the last nationals held, hosted by CD at Manawaroa Park, Palmerston North in November 2020. 

The 2020/21 regional CD playoffs for the season's top four teams from CD were held on 9 March 2021. Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School (below) won the 2020/21 regional CD Finals tournament. PNINS was due to be our representative at the Nationals the following summer, however, the nationals were cancelled due to the 2022 Omicron outbreak