Black Caps schedule: Three tests, surplus of Twenty20 as NZ summer fixtures announced

Name: Where does this Crusaders' win rank?
Uploaded: 2025-06-23T08:06:00+12:00
Description: Herald sports reporters Alex Powell and Cam McMillan run Ryan Bridge through the weekend of sport, including the Crusaders Super Rugby title.

NZ Herald

24 Jun, 2025 06:00 PM4 mins to read

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Herald sports reporters Alex Powell and Cam McMillan run Ryan Bridge through the weekend of sport, including the Crusaders Super Rugby title.

The Black Caps have a plethora of white-ball cricket but just three home test matches, as New Zealand Cricket confirmed the schedule for the 2025/26 season.

After the 2024/25 summer featured three tests against England to satisfy fans of the longest format, the Black Caps will again be limited to

The tour was initially slated as a two-match series but New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has added a further test, with Christchurch, Wellington and Tauranga playing host from the start of December.

But with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February 2026, the Black Caps will have plenty of opportunities to finalise their plans for new coach Rob Walter’s first tournament at the helm, against high-quality opposition.

All up, the Black Caps will play 16 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) over the coming summer, in comparison to the three tests and six One Day Internationals (ODIs).

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The White Ferns, meanwhile, have a 14-game schedule split across the T20I and ODI formats, as both Zimbabwe and South Africa tour in the new year.

At the start of October, Australia arrive for three T20Is – all played at Bay Oval – before England add another three fixtures in the shortest format, two in Christchurch and one at Eden Park.

England stay on for a further three T20Is and three ODIs, before the West Indies are welcomed in November for the only full tour of the summer.

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As well as the three tests, the men from the Caribbean play five T20Is and three ODIs as the Black Caps’ final assignment of 2025 before the World Cup.

After their own 50-over World Cup in September, the White Ferns host Zimbabwe in three T20Is and three ODIs in Hamilton and Dunedin respectively to open 2026, before the summer-concluding South Africa tour.

It will be the first time the White Ferns meet Zimbabwe in a bilateral series.

The White Ferns and Black Caps will host their respective opponents in five T20Is each, all double-headers, in Tauranga, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

While that will bring the Black Caps’ home season to an end, the White Ferns will finish with a further three ODIs, one in Christchurch and two in Wellington.

“We’re thrilled to build this exciting home summer around the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and on the back of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, giving our players a chance to shine on the global stage as well as at home in front of their own fans,” NZC chief executive Scott Weenink said.

“We’ve seen fantastic crowds across the country over the past few seasons and are looking forward to that continuing this summer given the strength of the schedule.”