New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will trial one ball per innings during the first five rounds of the Ford Trophy, replacing the usual two-ball system. The men's domestic 50-over competition begins on Wednesday, October 28, with the change aimed at preparing players for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

The trial could give bowlers more opportunities to generate reverse swing during the closing overs, making it harder for batters to score freely with an older ball. South Africa will co-host the World Cup with Zimbabwe, while Namibia will also host matches. The tournament takes place in October and November next year.

New Zealand Cricket to Trial Single-Ball Rule in Ford Trophy

Under the revised playing conditions, teams will use one ball throughout each innings instead of taking a second new ball after 35 overs. New Zealand Cricket will assess the trial after the first five rounds in November before deciding whether to retain the rule for the final five rounds and finals in February 2027.

Young believes the change could make scoring more difficult during the closing overs and force batters to adjust their approach.

"It reminds me of when you stumble across old international highlights, and watch the death bowling and you can see that the ball's a bit softer and reverse-swinging — and it's really difficult for the batter to score at more than a run-a-ball in those last 10-15 overs," Young said.

"I think it adds a really interesting dynamic to the game and to the format, so I quite like the idea of trialling the single ball and bringing back the art of getting the ball to reverse swing," he added.

"With the ball doing a bit more at the back end of the innings, it will challenge the batters to figure out different ways to generate a strike rate," Young said. "It'll be interesting to see if it leads to a different style of playing or, for instance, a different approach to the power play."

Will Young Eyes Historic Ford Trophy Hat-Trick of Centuries

Will Young will also have a chance to make history when the Central Stags face Northern Districts at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Wednesday. The 33-year-old scored centuries in last season's elimination and grand finals, just two days apart.

Another hundred would make him the first player to score three consecutive centuries in the competition's 55-year history. Young was instrumental in the Stags' title-winning campaign. He scored 105 in a 211-run elimination-final win over Wellington before hitting 157 in the grand final against Canterbury.

The Stags chased Canterbury's 302/7 to win the final by six wickets. Young and Curtis Heaphy, who scored 105, shared a record second-wicket partnership of 257, while Henry Nicholls made 115 and Tom Latham scored 80 for Canterbury.

Young described last season's grand final at the Cello Basin Reserve as his favourite Ford Trophy memory. He will return to the venue for this season's finals, scheduled for February 19 and 21, 2027.

Ford Trophy Opening Fixtures: Wellington vs Otago Rescheduled

The opening round features three fixtures across New Zealand. Central Stags will meet Northern Districts at Saxton Oval on Wednesday, while Auckland Aces will host Canterbury at Eden Park's Kennards Hire Community Oval.

The Wellington Firebirds' match against Otago Volts has been moved from Wednesday, October 28, to Thursday, October 29, following flight cancellations. Wellington will also launch its 150th-anniversary season. Both teams will look to improve on their previous one-day campaigns.

Several New Zealand internationals are expected to feature in the opening round despite concurrent commitments involving the senior team and New Zealand A against India and India A. The major associations are scheduled to announce their squads by soon ahead of the tournament's start.