New Zealand Trial One Ball for 50 Overs in Ford Trophy

New Zealand Cricket will trial using just one ball for a full 50-over innings in the first five rounds of this season's Ford Trophy, which starts today.

At present, two new balls are used in a one-day innings, with the second ball coming in at the 35-over mark, but under the trial the same ball will be used from both ends for all 50 overs.

The aim is to bring reverse swing back at the death, with an eye on the 2027 one-day World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe late next year, and Central Stags batter Will Young welcomed the move, saying an older, softer ball should make late batting harder and force batters to find new ways to score.

The first round starts today in Auckland and Nelson, with the Wellington match moved to Thursday after flight cancellations, and New Zealand Cricket will review the trial after the first five rounds before deciding whether to keep it or go back to two balls for the rest of the season and the finals in February.