To paraphrase Ronald Hugh Morrieson, the same day the BLACKCAPS won a Test match in India and the WHITE FERNS won their first T20 World Cup, the Otago Volts, Auckland Aces and Canterbury celebrated wins on the opening day of the NZC cricket season.

The Volts produced one of their all-time one-day highest winning margins and defending champion Canterbury steamrolled the Wellington Firebirds to earn bonus-point wins from their round one encounters, while Will O’Donnell’s second Ford Trophy century and career best 115 proved the difference as the Pukekura Park tussle with the Central Stags went into the evening.

Angus McKenzie meanwhile produced the first five-wicket bag of the summer at the Cello Basin Reserve with a sizzling 5/14 in Canterbury’s six-wicket win in Wellington.

The results set up some interesting clashes for Wednesday’s second round, when the Stags and ND will both be eager for their first win at Pukekura Park and the unbeaten Volts and Canterbury head into a top-of-the-table clash at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.

The Aces will meanwhile make their way down to ND’s Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui where they will technically play host to the Wellington Firebirds, with the Aces’ regular home grounds unavailable this week.

Free livestreams for all Ford Trophy matches in the regular season are found on the NZC YouTube Channel, as well as on the NZC live scorecards and app, alongside livescoring for all matches.

POINTS TABLE at a glance
After Round One

5 Otago Volts (NRR 3.5)

5 Canterbury (NRR 3.2)

4 Auckland Aces

0 Central Stags (NRR -0.78)

0 Wellington Firebirds (NRR -3.2)

0 Northern Districts (NRR -3.5)

THE FORD TROPHY

ROUND ONE RESULTS

20 October 2024

Wellington Firebirds lost to Canterbury by six wickets

Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington