The Wellington Firebirds will open their 2025/26 Plunket Shield campaign tomorrow at the Cello Basin Reserve, taking on the Otago Volts in a historic summer marking 100 years of first-class cricket in New Zealand.

Fresh off BLACKCAPS duty in the T20 series against the West Indies, Tim Robinson returns to the Firebirds squad for Round 1. His inclusion adds further firepower to a settled group as the side look to kick off the centenary season with a strong performance at home.

The fixture also presents an opportunity for the Firebirds to build on their recent red-ball form against Otago. Wellington will be aiming for consecutive Plunket Shield wins over the Volts for the first time since 2018, following their dominant 171-run victory in March.

Featuring a balanced squad featuring experience, depth, and proven performers with both bat and ball. Wellington impressed on the bowling front last season, finishing with the best collective bowling average (24.8) in the competition and the second-best strike rate (49.8), a platform they’ll look to capitalise on from Day 1 at the Basin.

As New Zealand Cricket celebrates a century of first-class cricket, the Firebirds will be aiming to start the milestone season on a high in front of their home crowd.

Wellington Firebirds v Otago Volts – Plunket Shield Round 1
18-21 November 2025, Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

Tom Blundell (C)
Liam Dudding
Nick Greenwood
James Hartshorn
Nick Kelly
Callum McLachlan
Sam Mycock
Tim Robinson
Gareth Severin
Michael Snedden
Jesse Tashkoff
Peter Younghusband

Play begins 10:30am, Tuesday 18^th November (to Friday 21 November) at the Cello Basin Reserve. Live scoring and streaming will be available via NZC.

Photo: courtesy of Dave Lintott Photography 2025.

Article added: Monday 17 November 2025