Cricket: Rule change gets rid of Oxford Trust final

Kamo will be looking to continue their winning form from last weekend's Lion Red Cup. Photo / Thinkstock

Tomorrow's first round of cricket's Oxford Trust two-day competition will see teams playing with extra incentive after a rule change in the off-season.

This year whichever team finishes first in the two-day competition will be dubbed winners, without having to play a final against second place like previous seasons.

The change comes after the final was seemingly redundant as the toss of a coin often decided the outcome due to the competition's rules favouring the top-placed team heavily.

Previously whichever team finished first at the end of pool play had a significant advantage as they only needed to draw the final to claim the title.

Northland Cricket competitions manager Neal Parlane is glad to see the final ditched, saying often two days was a short time to bowl a club team out twice - especially if weather interrupted.

"I don't see any final [is needed], or maybe go to a three-dayer so you do get see who the best is," he said.

This weekend marks the first round, of five, of two-day cricket after teams have previously played 20-over, one-day, and Dargaville Shield cricket.

Kamo will be looking to continue their winning form from last weekend's Lion Red Cup as they host Onerahi Central while Zest Insurance Whangarei Boys' High School host Maungakaramea and City travel to Kaipara. Each game starts at 10.30am.