State Championship
The format and the principal sponsor were changed in 2001–02 season. State Insurance (more commonly just called 'State') replaced Shell Oil. The competitions were renamed to reflect the new sponsor's name, so despite the fact that New Zealand does not have political 'states', the correct name for the first class cricket competition was the 'State Championship'.
Between November and early April, each of the provincial teams play in a one round round-robin series of 4-day matches against every other team. With a target of 112 overs (6.5 hours) daily play, games are only marginally shorter than a typical test match (90 overs/day). Points are awarded based on the results of the matches, and after each team has played each other once, the two highest ranked teams play a 5-day final, in early April.
A limited 50 over competition known as the State Shield was run from late December to the end of January, culminating with a semifinal (2v3) and final (the semifinal winner against the top qualifier) early in February.
In 2006, a provincial Twenty20 competition was begun, and was played over one month during February and into early March each year. The top two sides qualified for that final. It was called the State Twenty20.
Read more about this topic: Plunket Shield
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