New Zealand's domestic one-day competition for the State Shield moves into the day/night era in the new summer.

Five games are scheduled in the day/night format, with one full round on Friday, January 24 having all three games played as day/night matches.

The development of WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton as probably the best-equipped venue with lights in the country will see three of Northern Districts' games played under the lights while Christchurch and New Plymouth will join the party on January 24.

Television coverage of Shield games will consist of five preliminary round matches and the semi-final and final.

No new venues feature, although Canterbury Cricket is going to make more use of Hagley Oval with two of its five home matches there.

The final of the State Shield, which starts on Saturday, December 28, is to be played on February 1.

The season will begin with the now regular State Max tournament to be played this year at Auckland's Lloyd Elsmore Park on the weekend of November 16-17. The six teams have been divided into two zones - Northern (Northern Districts, Auckland, Central Districts) and Southern (Wellington, Canterbury and Otago) - and the final will be between the two zone winners.

On Saturday, Auckland and Northern Districts will play one of the games at 11am and Canterbury and Wellington the other.

At 3pm, Canterbury will play Otago and Central Districts will play Northern Districts.

On Sunday, Auckland will Central Districts and Wellington will play Otago. Both games are at 10am. The final will be played at 2pm.

The traditional four-day programme for the State Championship starts on November 23 with a match between Central Districts and Otago at Victoria Park in Wanganui. The game is out on its own as it was originally in the second round of games, but on that date the CD team will be hosting India.

Otago has signalled its choice of playing more first-class cricket at its new base at the University Oval. It will host three games at the ground starting from February 25, the time that it could expect to have faced scheduling problems at its traditional home at Carisbrook during rugby's Super 12 tournament.

The Championship is to finish on Thursday, March 20.

The State League, for New Zealand's women is spread from Saturday, December 7 under the competition final on Saturday, February 22. Part of the reason for that is the cessation of games during the staging of the women's international quadrangular tournament.

© CricInfo