13 Mar 2027, Black Cottage Oval, Marlborough

Marlborough International Sixes - Wickets & Wine Festival

Eight teams. One day. One unforgettable setting.

Premium Sixes Cricket in the Heart of Marlborough Wine Country.

Introducing the Marlborough International Sixes - Wickets & Wine Festival, a new premium community cricket event set in the heart of New Zealand wine country in Blenheim, Marlborough.

The tournament will be staged at the magnificent Black Cottage Oval cricket ground, set in the vineyard of Two Rivers of Marlborough. It's a setting that must be seen to be fully appreciated.

For the genuine cricket tragic, Black Cottage Oval is the sort of ground and destination that belongs on the bucket list: quality cricket, a spectacular Marlborough backdrop and a full day built around the people, traditions and social side of the game.

Teams of eight are welcome, with matches played six-a-side and interchange permitted. Six batters will be nominated, and every player except the wicketkeeper must bowl an over. Players must be over 20 and are expected to play in the true spirit of an enjoyable game in unique, superb surroundings.

For the inaugural tournament, just eight team entry spots are available. The competition will be played as a one-day, six-a-side festival, with teams split into two pools of four. Each team will play a round robin within its pool before progressing into either the Premiership or Championship semi-finals. Every team is guaranteed a minimum of four matches, with finalists playing five.

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Saturday 13 March 2027, Black Cottage Oval, Two Rivers of Marlborough

Tournament Format

Teams	8 team entry spots
Team Size	Teams of 8, six-a-side with interchange
Playing Format	Six-a-side cricket
Pools	2 pools of 4 teams
Pool stage	Round robin within each pool
Finals pathway	Premiership and Championship semi-finals and finals
Matches per team	Minimum 4 / maximum 5
Festival features	Six Hit Zone, Home Run Derby, music, food and wine
Date	Saturday 13 March 2027
Location	Black Cottage Oval, Two Rivers of Marlborough, Blenheim

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Festival features

The Awards

A feature of the day is a dedicated Six Hit Zone and a Home Run Derby. One player from each team will step up for the Home Run Derby and have one over to hit as many sixes as possible, with a special prize awaiting the inaugural champion.

Six Hit Zone

A dedicated zone for the big hitters all day.
Most Sixes of the Tournament (individual prize).

Home Run Derby

One nominated hitter per team.
One over to hit as many sixes as possible.
A special prize for the inaugural champion.

Cash Prizes

$1,000 for the Two Rivers Marlborough Sixes Champion Team
$500 for the team hitting the most sixes
$1,000 for the Unluckiest Losing Team

What's included

The Package

Apart from the sheer enjoyment of playing cricket in the middle of a vineyard on a stunning pitch, the inaugural teams, players and supporters will enjoy:

Full Kindred Sports playing kit (shirt, shorts and cap), appropriately themed
A welcome light meal on Friday 12 March
A celebratory dinner after play on Saturday 13 March
Umpires, scorers and a ground announcer
White balls
Lunches and drinks
The Home Run Derby: nominate your biggest hitter, one per team
The Hitter Zone: land the ball in the zone and win a bottle or two of wine
A complimentary bottle of wine per player, and rosé magnums for the winning teams

Wickets & Wine

The Vibe

The cricket will be fast, competitive and entertaining, but the day is designed to be much more than the matches themselves. The festival will feature music, outstanding team uniforms, quality food and beverage, and fun and friendship on and off the field.

Above all, Wickets & Wine at Black Cottage Oval is about bringing cricket people together in an unforgettable setting. Competitive cricket, great hospitality, quality food and beverage, music, camaraderie and one of the most distinctive community cricket venues in the country combine to create a festival with a genuine sense of occasion.

Two Rivers of Marlborough

The Winery

Two Rivers takes its name from the iconic rivers that feed the wine-growing heart of Marlborough's renowned Wairau and Awatere valleys.

It was in the Awatere Valley, overlooking the braided river, that founder and winemaker David Clouston spent his childhood. He now lives in the Wairau Valley, where he has made his home and his mark on the wine industry.

The winery's mission is to harness Marlborough's intense fruit flavours while producing elegant wines with purity and a sense of place. Grapes are grown on the clay soils of the high-density planted Brookby Hill Vineyard in the Southern Valleys sub-region, together with several key sites across Marlborough's two main valleys.

It's a very special winery, with a wonderful approach to creating high-quality vintages at remarkably fair prices. Playing cricket at the winery not only provides a cricketing experience to remember, but also the opportunity to enjoy outstanding Two Rivers wines.

Gallery

Cricket in the vineyard

Fees and payment terms

Team Entry and Player Fees

All prices are in New Zealand dollars and GST inclusive. Payment is made on invoice from Kindred Cricket, 317 Racecourse Road, RD1, Cambridge 3493.

Fees

Fee	Amount
Team entry fee	$2,000 per team of 8
Player fee	$300 per player

Payment terms

Payment	Amount	Due
Team entry deposit	$500	On entry
Team entry balance	$1,500	On or before 12 February 2027
Player deposit	$50 per player	With team entry
Player balance	$250 per player	On or before 12 February 2027

Cancellations and refunds

Payment	Refund	Period
Team entry deposit	75%	Up to 15 January 2027
Team entry deposit	50%	Up to 15 February 2027
Team entry deposit	Non-refundable	From 16 February 2027
Player entry balance	80%	Up to 15 February 2027
Player entry balance	Non-refundable	From 16 February 2027

The future

Be part of the very first edition

The ambition is simple: to establish the Marlborough International Sixes as a feature of the community cricket calendar and a tournament teams want to return to year after year. Be part of the very first edition and help create the tradition from day one.

Eight teams. One day. One unforgettable setting

Register your interest for the inaugural Marlborough International Sixes - Wickets & Wine Festival and be part of the first chapter of a new community cricket tradition in Marlborough.

Terms and Conditions

Read Terms & Conditions