Press release:

 

This Thursday, a summer of sixes will swing into action with the return of free-to-air cricket on TVNZ, starting with the BLACKCAPS taking on England in a highly anticipated three-match Test series.
 
The 2023/24 season saw incredible audience numbers across TVNZ, with cricket fans loving the opportunity to watch home soil matches live and free. TVNZ’s cricket coverage reached over 2.5 million people across TVNZ 1 and DUKE and an additional 459,000 accounts on TVNZ+.
 
With incredible victories for both the WHITE FERNS and BLACKCAPS this season, both teams will be looking to continue their form at home. TVNZ’s seasoned commentary team will once again offer comprehensive analysis on all international matches, alongside the domestic season.
 
Scotty Stevenson will swap hockey sticks for cricket bats, having spent the last month commentating Premier League Hockey. Joining him are former BLACKCAPS, Grant Elliott and Mark Richardson, alongside former WHITE FERN Wicketkeeper Katey Martin, who commentated the final of Women’s Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai.  
 
Craig McMillan will juggle his time between commentating BLACKCAPS matches and serving as Assistant Coach of the T20 World Champions, the WHITE FERNS this season.
 
Fresh from breaking national records for the leading run scorer (male or female) for a New Zealand domestic team, Frankie MacKay will once again take to the field and the mic, continuing her dual role as player for the Canterbury Magicians and commentator for Te Reo Tātaki.
 
International and local experts will join the core commentary team for WHITE FERNS and BLACKCAPS matches. The BLACKCAPS Test series will see England’s cricket legend David Gower, who amassed an impressive 8,000 runs in Test matches during his career, and former BLACKCAPS legendary fast bowler, Shane Bond join the team calling the series. Former Australian cricketer Mel Jones will use her extensive on-field experience to offer in-depth analysis during the WHITE FERNS v Australia series. 
 
TVNZ has commissioned a six-part series called My Home Town, an inspiring documentary series that showcases the journeys of six of New Zealand’s cricket stars, including Glenn Phillips and Melie Kerr, as they return to their roots. Each 22-minute episode highlights their remarkable stories of resilience and determination that have shaped these athletes into the icons they are today. The series will be available to stream on TVNZ+ from Thursday. 
 
Cricket fans can enjoy all matches live on TVNZ+, with free-to-air coverage of international T20s on TVNZ 1, and ODIs and the England Test series on DUKE. The domestic T20 league, Dream 11’s Super Smash will have live coverage on DUKE from December 26. The full schedule for TVNZ’s coverage of cricket can be found HERE.