| Dates | 29 November 2020 – 6 March 2021 | 
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | New Zealand Cricket | 
| Cricket format | List A cricket | 
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout | 
| Champions | Canterbury (15th title) | 
| Participants | 6 | 
| Matches | 32 | 
| Most runs | William O'Donnell (537) | 
| Most wickets | Will Williams (20) | 
| Official website | www.blackcaps.co.nz | 
The 2020–21 Ford Trophy was the 50th season of The Ford Trophy, the List A cricket tournament that was played in New Zealand. It was the tenth in a sponsorship deal between New Zealand Cricket and Ford Motor Company. It started on 29 November 2020 and finished on 6 March 2021.[1] Auckland were the defending champions.[2][3]
On 15 June 2020, New Zealand Cricket announced the first round of contracts for domestic teams ahead of the 2020–21 season.[4][5] The full schedule for the tournament was confirmed on 8 October 2020.[6][7]
Following the conclusion of the group stage, Northern Districts and Wellington progressed to the preliminary final, with Canterbury topping the group and advancing directly to the tournament's final.[8] Northern Districts won the rain-affected preliminary final by 138 runs to join Canterbury in the final of the tournament.[9] In the final, Canterbury beat Northern Districts by eight wickets to win their 15th title.[10]
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canterbury | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1.146 | 
| 2 | Northern Districts | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 26 | −0.093 | 
| 3 | Wellington | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 22 | −0.164 | 
| 4 | Otago | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 20 | −0.613 | 
| 5 | Auckland | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 18 | −0.233 | 
| 6 | Central Districts | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 12 | −0.047 | 
Advanced to the Final Advanced to the Preliminary Final
Fixtures
Round 1
 29 November 2020     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 138/9 (27 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 143/4 (19.3 overs)  | 
- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
 - Northern Districts were set a revised target of 143 runs from 19.3 overs due to rain.
 - Ollie Pringle and Ryan Harrison (Auckland) both made their List A debuts.
 
 29 November 2020     Scorecard  | 
Central Districts 183/6 (20 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 187/4 (18.2 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
 - The match was reduced to 20 overs per side due to rain.
 - Joey Field (Central Districts) made his List A debut.
 
 29 November 2020     Scorecard  | 
Wellington 119 (34 overs)  | 
v  | 
Canterbury 123/3 (22.4 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Sean Davey (Canterbury), James Hartshorn and Troy Johnson (Wellington) all made their List A debuts.
 - Sean Davey (Canterbury) took his first five-wicket haul in List A cricket.[11]
 
Round 2
 1 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 202/7 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 205/6 (43.2 overs)  | 
- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Ross ter Braak (Auckland) made his List A debut.
 
 1 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Otago 212/8 (24 overs)  | 
v  | 
Central Districts 202/8 (24 overs)  | 
- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
 - The match was reduced to 24 overs per side due to rain.
 - Jarrod McKay (Central Districts) made his List A debut.
 - Travis Muller (Otago) took his first five-wicket haul in List A cricket.[12]
 
 1 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 236/5 (40 overs)  | 
v  | 
Wellington 205 (37.3 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
 - The match was reduced to 40 overs per side due to rain.
 - Matthew Hay (Canterbury) made his List A debut.
 
Round 3
 6 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 246 (48 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 113 (36.3 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
 - Michael Rae (Otago) took the third-best figures in a domestic List A match in New Zealand.[13]
 
 6 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 346/8 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 209 (41.5 overs)  | 
- Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat.
 
 6 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Central Districts 261/9 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Wellington 264/5 (48.2 overs)  | 
- Central Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
 
Round 4
 8 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 224 (48.3 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 229/4 (43.1 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
 
 8 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 266/8 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 267/7 (49.5 overs)  | 
- Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Matthew Fisher (Northern Districts) made his List A debut.
 
Round 5
 13 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Central Districts 213 (49 overs)  | 
v  | 
Canterbury 217/3 (41.3 overs)  | 
- Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
 - Mitchell Hay (Cantebury) made his List A debut.
 
 13 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Northern Districts 323/9 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 283 (47.3 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
 
 13 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 255/9 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Wellington 256/6 (48.3 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
 
Round 6
 15 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 158 (41.1 overs)  | 
v  | 
Central Districts 162/4 (31 overs)  | 
- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
 
 15 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Northern Districts 243 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 177 (45.2 overs)  | 
- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
 
 15 December 2020     Scorecard  | 
Wellington 283/6 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Auckland 284/5 (48 overs)  | 
- Auckland won the toss and elected to field.
 - William O'Donnell (Auckland) and Troy Johnson (Wellington) both scored their first centuries in List A cricket.[14]
 
Round 7
 19 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Northern Districts 205 (49.1 overs)  | 
v  | 
Wellington 207/9 (48.3 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
 
 19 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Central Districts 309/7 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Auckland 310/4 (47.1 overs)  | 
- Central Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Cole Briggs (Auckland) made his List A debut.
 - Cole Briggs (Auckland) scored his first century in List A cricket.[15]
 - Sean Solia and Cole Briggs set a new partnership record for the first wicket for Auckland, with 226 runs.[15]
 
 19 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 271 (49.2 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 217 (45.1 overs)  | 
- Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Max Chu (Otago) made his List A debut.
 
Round 8
 21 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Wellington 188 (46.5 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 171 (48.4 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.
 
 21 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Auckland 311/9 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Central Districts 218 (39.3 overs)  | 
- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Andrew Morrison (Auckland) made his List A debut.
 - Ross Taylor (Central Districts) played in his 300th List A match.[16]
 
 21 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Otago 263/9 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Canterbury 232 (48.5 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to bat.
 
Round 9
 26 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Wellington 340/8 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 342/4 (49.1 overs)  | 
- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
 
 26 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Northern Districts 194 (48.3 overs)  | 
v  | 
Central Districts 196/4 (34.3 overs)  | 
- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
 
 26 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 313/4 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Auckland 97 (26.3 overs)  | 
- Auckland won the toss and elected to field.
 - Canterbury's winning margin was the biggest in the history of the Ford Trophy.[17]
 
Round 10
 28 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Wellington 427/8 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Otago 345 (41.2 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.
 - Wellington's score was the highest ever team total in New Zealand List A cricket.[18]
 
 28 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Central Districts 253 (49.1 overs)  | 
v  | 
Northern Districts 257/5 (47.2 overs)  | 
- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
 
 28 February 2021     Scorecard  | 
Canterbury 238/5 (29 overs)  | 
v  | 
Auckland 225/8 (29 overs)  | 
- Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat.
 - The match was reduced to 29 overs per side due to rain.
 
Finals
Northern Districts 351/8 (42 overs)  | 
v  | 
Wellington 145/7 (26.1 overs)  | 
- Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
 - Wellington were set a revised target of 284 runs from 26.1 overs due to rain.
 
Northern Districts 289/7 (50 overs)  | 
v  | 
Canterbury 292/2 (45 overs)  | 
- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
 
References
- ↑ "Plunket Shield 2020–21" (PDF). New Zealand Cricket. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
 - ↑ "Colin Munro, Mark Chapman take Auckland to Ford Trophy title". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
 - ↑ "Left-handers fire Auckland Aces to win over Otago Volts in dramatic Ford Trophy final". Stuff. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
 - ↑ "Daryl Mitchell, Jeet Raval and Finn Allen among major domestic movers in New Zealand". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
 - ↑ "Auckland lose Jeet Raval to Northern Districts, Finn Allen to Wellington in domestic contracts". Stuff. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
 - ↑ "Professional cricket set to resume in new COVID-19 world". Cricket New Zealand. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
 - ↑ "New Zealand domestic season to begin on October 19 with Plunket Shield". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy Finals confirmed". New Zealand Cricket. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Henry Cooper brilliance books Northern Districts a grand final clash with Canterbury". Stuff. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
 - ↑ "Canterbury win Ford Trophy final against Northern Districts at a canter". Stuff. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Canterbury's Sean Davey enjoys dream six-wicket bag on debut". Stuff. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
 - ↑ "Volts head off Worker's heroics". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Michael Rae's remarkable seven-wicket haul can't avert Otago defeat to Auckland". Stuff. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Auckland Aces beat Wellington Firebirds in battle of maiden hundreds". Stuff. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
 - 1 2 "Ford Trophy: Auckland's Cole Briggs scores century on debut in record-breaking partnership with Sean Solia". Stuff. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Auckland debutant Cole Briggs' stunning start continues in another runfest". Stuff. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Black Caps batsman Henry Nicholls helps Canterbury to a record-breaking victory". Stuff. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
 - ↑ "Ford Trophy: Firebirds star Finn Allen blazes equal quickest List A century". Stuff. Retrieved 28 February 2021.