July 12 Friday 2002
One day of international cricket for Canterbury 

CHRISTCHURCH: Sports fans in Canterbury New Zealand will have to settle for only one day of international cricket in coming season. The sole match scheduled for Jade Stadium is third limited-overs day-nighter against India on New Year's Day, a Wednesday. 

Because of the World Cup in South Africa in February and March, New Zealand is hosting just one incoming tour, and the emphasis is very much on limited-overs cricket. 

Canterbury Cricket Association chief executive Richard Reid was understanding of an itinerary he described as "a bit difficult because of the World Cup". 

After a slogathon against the Max Blacks and a three-day warm-up game with Central Districts, Indians and Black Caps meet in back-to-back test matches at Wellington's Basin Reserve and Hamilton's WestpacTrust Park. 

"From a cricket purist's point of view, Wellington and Hamilton have the grounds best suited to test cricket," said Reid. "If one takes off one's Canterbury hat it's hard to argue with that." 

Reid expected test cricket to return to Christchurch in future seasons, "at Jade Stadium or elsewhere". 

Wellington and Hamilton have specialist cricket grounds, whereas Jade is now dominated by rugby. A seven-match one-day series follows the tests as cricketing cavalcade moves between Auckland, Napier, Christchurch, new venue Queenstown, Wellington, Auckland again, and Hamilton. 

"I think January 1 is a good marketing day for us. In a perfect world a weekend game is the ideal, but a public holiday is next best and the series will still be very much alive," said Reid. 

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said Indian team had to be home by January 16, causing a tight time frame. "Both teams feel that, with the World Cup so close, an extended one-day series will be beneficial to their preparation," he said. Queenstown's picturesque new Events Centre was preferred ahead of Carisbrook because the tour occurs during the holiday season. 

The recent tradition of starting tests at Basin Reserve on Boxing Day has been broken. By then the tour will be into its second one-dayer, at Auckland. 

Itinerary: 
December 4 v Max Blacks (venue to be confirmed); 6-8 v Central Districts at Napier; 12-16 first test at Wellington (Basin Reserve); 19-23 second test at Hamilton; 26 first ODI at Auckland; 29 second ODI at Napier. January 1 third ODI at Christchurch; 4 fourth ODI at Queenstown; 8 fifth ODI at Wellington (WestpacTrust Stadium); 11 sixth ODI at Auckland; 14 seventh ODI at Hamilton.