NZC has introduced new COVID-19 playing conditions for the 2020/21 season to help safeguard players and officials should the virus find its way into the New Zealand community a third time.

NZC's Head of Cricket Operations Richard Brewer confirmed NZC has adopted the majority of the ICC’s COVID-19 regulations — which many cricket followers will have already seen in effect in this year’s northern hemisphere summer.

“This means New Zealand Domestic players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball, and umpires will no longer hold the players’ caps or other items of clothing,” said Brewer.

EXPECT NEW FASHIONS IN THE FIELD THIS SUMMER

“The new rules also allow for the replacement of players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a match — with the option for the player to return to the game following a negative result.

“These measures will be overseen by the Match Referee and Match Officials, and have already been successfully piloted in preseason warm-up fixtures between [some] Domestic men’s sides.”

The Central Stags practised 'safe cricket' for the first time last week in the team's intersquad three-day and one-day fixtures, and all teams will be given some grace as players strive to suppress long-held habits and muscle memory in the middle.

For the majority of the players, the week's preseason camp at Nelson Park was their first match of any kind since the arrival of COVID-19 in New Zealand curtailed the 2019/20 cricket season.

Whilst staying safe is the absolute priority, the premature end to the season saw the Stags miss out on two keenly awaited home games at their happy hunting ground of McLean Park, including a rematch with the Wellington Firebirds who were later awarded the title by NZC.

The Stags had a mathematical chance of overtaking the Firebirds in the last two rounds, but had to settle for runners-up when stumps were pulled — after having lifted the coveted Plunket Shield for the previous two summers on the trot.

This season's first-class championship is coming up fast, with the first round at Eden Park Outer Oval, Seddon Park and the Basin Reserve starting from October 19, but the Stags will have to wait until the back half of summer for another shot at the defending champions.

The Stags begin their own season on the road with what should be tough, highly competitive fixtures against ND and the Aces — two sides that will be teeming with BLACKCAPS who are available for the first four rounds only.

The Stags meet the same two sides again at home at Saxton Oval in rounds three and four, while arch rivals the Firebirds will be the only team to host three home fixtures before Christmas brings the switch to the white-ball formats of the holiday season.

Stags Plunket Shield captain GREG HAY (above; PHOTOSPORT) is expecting New Zealand’s most hotly contested first-class cricket championship in years and looking forward to ROSS TAYLOR joining the side for the first four matches.

“Obviously everyone has got a hell of a lot of respect for Ross and, with that wealth of experience and knowledge, he’s invaluable to have in and around the sheds,” said Hay.

“I’m expecting the standard to be pretty high throughout the Plunket Shield and there are some strong sides out there, but in saying that, we should have a fairly strong and experienced line-up ourselves.”

The Stags suffered an injury-riddled season last summer — so the prospect of heading into this season with ADAM MILNE, SETH RANCE, BEN WHEELER, BLAIR TICKNER and RAY TOOLE all revving tneir engines has Hay counting the days.

“In the last five years, I could probably count on one hand the number of times we’ve had all our bowlers available at the same time. I’m not counting my chickens yet, but I’m hoping I’ll have a full stable of quicks, and they can really work as a pack for us.”

Hay will also be looking forward to the chance to play back to back games at his home ground in Stoke, Saxton Oval.

“It’s going to be interesting playing ND and Auckland twice before Christmas and important to get through the first half of the Plunket Shield in a good position, to head into that break near the top of the table with a good opportunity to kick on.

“Since the competition was reduced from 10 to eight rounds a couple of years ago, every game has sort of become more important, and teams are really looking to force results in just about every round. So they’re going to be exciting games, and it’s going to be good to have Ross around for those first four games and hopefully he can put some big scores up for us.”

The Plunket Shield will be the first professional cricket in New Zealand in seven months.

Normally a mainstay for Somerset’s Bath Cricket Club in the off-seasons, for Hay himself, it’s been his longest spell between drinks in a dozen summers back to back.

“Not being able to play in England was a shock to the system for me," he says, "but I’m just really looking forward to getting back out there and playing now."

The 36-year-old opening batsman has been in the best touch of his career in recent seasons and was once again among the country’s top red-ball batsmen last season.

What motivates him to keep putting himself out there against the likes of Boult and Wagner?

"I still love the training,” Hay says with complete honesty.

“It’s the challenge to try and improve and each day trying to get better, then taking that work from the nets out to the middle.

"And, challenging myself from a leadership perspective to bring the guys together and really drive the organisation forward, and to see our young guys really fulfilling their own potential and hopefully playing for the BLACKCAPS.

"There’s been some really good work going in over the winter from the whole team so I’m hoping for a few breakout seasons from a few of the guys to really step up and dominate this season.”

Despite the stellar cast of players this season, entry to the 107th edition of the national title-hunt will remain completely free to the public.

Said NZC's Brewer, “After the impact of COVID-19 on the back end of last season, I think we all feel truly grateful to be able to play sport, and offer New Zealanders the chance to see so many quality players and matches this summer.

“We’re hoping the chance for the community to come together and enjoy live sport again will spur more people to pop down to enjoy the action in person, particularly with so many matches falling on a weekend.”

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Article added: Saturday 10 October 2020