New Zealand's domestic first-class competition - the Plunket Shield - will take place without match referees in the upcoming season because of budget cuts. The removal of the three match referees is one among a number of programmes to be cut by New Zealand Cricket, who are expected to face a multi-million dollar loss this year.

The match referees were tasked with assessing umpire performance, playing standards of the grounds and on-field incidents, all of which will now be handled by the officiating umpires with assistance from regional associations to ensure quality playing conditions.

"It wasn't a cheap programme given we had to pay them, travel them round and pay for accommodation," NZC head of cricket Lindsay Crocker told stuff.co.nz. "It was really disappointing but it was a programme we are simply unable to afford.

"If we had more income then we would be able to do all the programmes we wanted, it's just the nature of running a business and trying to compete on world terms with a budget smaller than our competitors. Now we'll be asking the people who host the matches, the major associations, to step up and take responsibility for quality again."

Crocker said the money generated from co-hosting the 2015 World Cup would be used as a safeguard for the future and other areas of investment. "The World Cup was a one-off, it isn't a matter of making a nest egg and then expending it. We've got to be prudent about that, it gives us an opportunity to sit out any future rainy days and there is also some investment we need to do around facilities.

"The Cricket World Cup money and the legacy we attach from there is really around capital projects rather than operational ones."

As was the process before the concept of match referees came into force, umpires will receive feedback through reports from captains and from NZC umpire Tony Hill, who will travel to select matches.