Seddon Park to host Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final

Seddon Park in Hamilton will play host to the final of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield between Northern Spirit and Auckland Hearts on March 14. Both teams have enjoyed a successful season, with Spirit topping the points table at the end of the group stage having dropped only one of their 10 matches – against Canterbury Magicians way back in November.

Spirit, who have made the final for the very first time, have already once defeated the Hearts team in Hamilton during the 2019-20 season. In what turned out to be a dress rehearsal for the grand finale, the Felicity Leydon-Davis-led side came out on top in a tight win that helped cement their final hosting rights.

While the hosts are chasing their first trophy, Hearts on the other hand are vying for their fourth trophy in six years. Quite amazingly, they were also losing finalists on the other two occasions. One of the more consistent teams on the domestic circuit, Hearts will prove to be stiff competition to Spirit.

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“It's been another hard-fought season in which we've seen the competition take another leap forward in skill and intensity,” said Charlie Brewer, New Zealand Cricket domestic cricket operations manager. “It will be a special day for Northern Spirit for many reasons, not least that this is the first time they will have competed in a 50-over final - which is exciting for both the team and the Northern Districts region.”

"Spirit brings form to the final, the Hearts bring experience and have featured regularly in finals since the competition’s inception.”

“In recent times, Seddon Park has also provided a backdrop for some exciting domestic cricket finals and, with the talent that both the Hearts and the Spirit can call on, it will be a compelling end to this year’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield,” he concluded.

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The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final will bring New Zealand’s domestic season to a close with Wellington Blaze having already taken the Super Smash (domestic T20 tournament) trophy late last year.

The pair of Kim Cotton and Billy Bowden have been announced as on-field umpires for the final.