The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield is a List A event of women’s cricket in New Zealand. The tournament was initially played in test cricket format. But since the early 1980s, it is now played in the One Day International format. It started in 1935 and is played between six teams. The competition is governed by the New Zealand cricket board.
A total of twelve teams have participated at least once in the tournament. Six of these teams are now defunct. The current teams are Auckland Hearts, Canterbury Magicians, Central Hinds, Northern Districts, Otago Sparks, and Wellington Blaze. The tournament poses as the female counterpart of the Ford Trophy. Players in both the event receive an equal prize money per match ($800).
The competition features a double round-robin format where each team plays the other twice. Teams get four points for a match win, whereas two points are awarded for a draw or tie. If a team’s run-rate is 1.25 times more than their opponent then they are awarded a bonus point. A total of 30 matches are played before the final. At the end of the scheduled fixtures, the top two teams play the finals.
The tournament plays a significant role in a player’s career. This is because a good show can earn the player a place in national One Day International side.
Canterbury is the most succesful provincial team in the tournament, having won 39 titles. The next best teams are Auckland and Wellington with 20 and 18 titles each.
