The 2026/27 season begins with the return of a format trialled briefly 10 years ago: Timed (or "Declaration") Cricket.
This Saturday the morning grades begin their 2-day competitions but the opening 2 rounds are single-day games with a twist. 105 overs are to be bowled in the day instead of the typical 100, with the team batting first able to declare at any point. A declaration is enforced at the maximum of 55 overs.
The remaining overs in the day are available for the chasing side. 10 points are awarded to the winning side and if no definitive result is reached - the chasing side reaches the target or is bowled out - then 4 points are handed out for a "winning draw" and 2 for a "losing draw". Runs per over determines the winner and loser in this situation.
Play is half an hour longer to accommondate the extra overs, with sessions of play being: 10.30am-1.00pm, 1.40pm-4.00pm and 4.20pm-6.30pm. The playing conditions otherwise are as per a standard 2-day game (bowling restrictions, or lack thereof, wide rules, last hour and so forth).
The hybrid format first appeared in the 2016/17 season, where the Championship/Division 1 competition combined for the first couple of months of the season (as 2nd Grade Red & Black sections), playing both timed cricket and one-dayers before splitting off into graded 2-day competitions. The format is perhaps most found around the world in England, though it is gradually dying out over there in favour of true limited-overs games.
The Christchurch version was meant to be trialled for at least 2 seasons, but unfortunately the first spring was especially wet and bowler-friendly that only a couple of the 30 games played had first innings that lasted long enough for captains to even contemplate a declaration. It was quickly put back on the shelf after end-of-season feedback was considered.
With this season being shortened by a couple of weeks due to Electric Avenue and an early Easter, this time the format is much of a necessity to fit full round-robins in without the need for Sunday play. Even then, this year's Twenty20 competitions have also been shortened to just 3 rounds (2 pools of 4) on a twilight weekend and a double-header Saturday (plus a finals day) to fit everything in.
