Jimmy Neesham has been contracted to Auckland for the 2026-27 home season. The 35-year-old allrounder takes up a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) contract – home or worldwide – for the primary time since 2021-22. Neesham, who’s at the moment with Glamorgan for the T20 Blast within the UK, has made himself out there for the one-day Ford Trophy and 20-over Tremendous Smash competitions through the upcoming season.
Whereas Neesham performed the 2025-26 Ford Trophy for Auckland as a freelancer, he hasn’t performed a Tremendous Smash recreation for them since 2023. Wristspinner Adi Ashok, who missed out on a Black Caps central contract, is again on Auckland’s books. In the course of the New Zealand winter, Ashok headed to Chennai to coach with former India offspinner R Ashwin.
Luke Watson, the son of former Auckland coach and South African batter Doug Watson, has earned his maiden contract with Auckland after enjoying two four-day Plunket Defend matches within the earlier season.
Batter Nick Kelly, who’s at the moment on tour with the Black Caps within the West Indies, has moved again to Northern Districts from Wellington after captaining the Firebirds in all three codecs. Nineteen-year-old allrounder Snehith Reddy, who made his Plunket Defend debut within the earlier season after representing New Zealand Underneath-19s, secured his first ND contract whereas veteran Jeet Raval has opted to not take a contract this season.
Henry Shipley, the previous Canterbury fast, has switched to Wellington for the upcoming season. He’s the brand new addition to the Firebirds after Michael Snedden introduced his retirement from skilled cricket final month. With Devon Conway again on Black Caps‘ contract listing, Wellington may additionally have entry to him when nationwide commitments allow.
Thomas O’Connor caught the attention through the earlier home season•Getty Photographs
Thomas O’Connor, the son of former New Zealand worldwide Shayne O’Connor, has bagged his first Otago contract after rising as one of many key performers for them within the earlier season. A left-arm seamer like his father, Thomas claimed a match haul of 13 wickets towards Auckland on the Eden Park Outer Oval within the Plunket Defend earlier this 12 months and continued his effective type to place Otago on the point of a title win.
Each Canterbury and Otago completed stage on factors and wins (4), which might have been the preliminary deciding issue, so it got here all the way down to a net-runs-per-wicket permutation – calculated on runs-per-wicket for minus runs-per-wicket towards – throughout the entire season, which Canterbury had been comfortably forward on.
Lachie Harper earned his maiden contract at Canterbury after making his Plunket and Ford Trophy debuts for the group earlier this 12 months.
Central Districts, in the meantime, welcomed allrounder Jake Gibson from Otago and awarded batter Sam Cassidy his first contract on the province. Tom Bruce is now a totally contracted participant at CD after he had handed it again the earlier season and turned up for Desert Vipers within the UAE’s ILT20, which clashed with the Tremendous Smash.
Record of contracted gamers
Auckland
Adi Ashok, Angus Olliver, Ben Lister, Bevon Jacobs, Cam Fletcher, Dale Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Jock McKenzie, Lachlan Stackpole, Luke Watson, Rohit Kumar (previously often known as Rohit Gulati), Ryan Harrison, Samrath Singh, Sean Solia, Simon Keene
Canterbury
Matt Boyle, Chad Bowes, Leo Carter, Sean Davey, Jesse Frew, Lachie Harper, Scott Jannett, Ish Sodhi, Rhys Mariu, Cole McConchie, Gus McKenzie, Cam Paul, Michael Rae, Matt Rowe, Fraser Sheat
Central Districts
Taylor Bettelheim, Tom Bruce, Sam Cassidy, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Joey Subject, Toby Findlay, Dean Foxcroft, Jake Gibson, Curtis Heaphy, Jayden Lennox, Ajaz Patel, Brett Randell, Brad Schmulian, Ray Toole
Northern Districts
Xavier Bell, Josh Brown, Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Henry Cooper, Matt Fisher, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Nick Kelly, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ben Pomare, Robbie O’Donnell, Snehith Reddy, Tim Pringle
Otago
Matt Bacon, Jack Boyle, Max Chu, Mason Crane, Jacob Cumming, Zac Cumming, Danru Ferns, Luke Georgeson, Troy Johnson, Tom Jones, Ben Lockrose, Jarrod McKay, Thomas O’Connor, Thorn Parkes, Jamal Todd
Wellington
Callum McLachlan, Gareth Severin, Henry Shipley, James Hartshorn, Jesse Tashkoff, Liam Dudding, Logan van Beek, Muhammad Abbas, Nick Greenwood, Oscar Jackson, Peter Younghusband, Sam Mycock, Samuel Morgan, Tim Robinson, Yahya Zeb
