Cricket's first-class season starts today, although you could be forgiven for not knowing that.
The emphasis in cricket planning these days is so heavily accented towards T20, and protecting that item, that first-class games are almost seen as, well, second class.
"Come along, kids, fancy watching some Plunket Shield cricket?" is not exactly a stirring entreaty. Kids pulling Dad out the door to a T20 game is a much more likely scenario.
The early stages of this season are messy too. The Plunket Shield, rather than being run in the easy-to-follow blocks of three, keeping the six provinces occupied on the same objective at the same time, starts with one game today, Canterbury hosting Otago, with another tomorrow, Central Districts playing Wellington.
Auckland needed a later start to build in their Champions League commitments in South Africa, so they're not beginning until next Sunday in Napier.