Hamilton and Hawke's Bay took the early initiative to appeal as the likely finalists in the Hawke Cup semi-finals after the first day of the games yesterday

Umpiring controversies are flavour of the month on the world scene at the moment and the New Zealand-Pakistan series is proving no different

New Zealand are in trouble against Pakistan in the first Test at Eden Park in Auckland after a disappointing batting effort on the third day

Sometimes the good guys do get their rewards, and that was the case for New Zealand fast-medium bowler Daryl Tuffey today

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming looks to be holding the hopes of his team after day two of the first National Bank Test with Pakistan in Auckland today

New Zealand succumbed to the fear of the unknown when deciding to bowl first on the new portable pitch in use for the first Test of the National Bank series at Eden Park in Auckland today

Only in New Zealand

Three long serving Auckland cricketers were honoured by the Auckland Cricket Alumni at a breakfast before the first New Zealand-Pakistan Test in Auckland today

Left-handed opening batsman Mark Richardson is now on the "extremely unlikely to play" list in the first New Zealand-Pakistan Test, starting in Auckland tomorrow, after injuring his back at the New Zealand side's last training run today

To bat or not to bat

Such has been the injury rate for both New Zealand and Pakistan it seemed the winner of the first Test starting tomorrow at Eden Park would be the side with most players left standing whenever the end came

Pakistan have sent out the SOS but it may be too late to allow the most experienced of its batsmen called up for a mercy dash to New Zealand, Ijaz Ahmed, to arrive in New Zealand

Hawke Cup cricket returns to the centre stage at the weekend with the semi-finals of the revamped competition

Pakistan's best-performed batsman Saeed Anwar has been confirmed today as the latest victim of his side's injury-plagued tour of New Zealand

Pakistan might have suffered an embarrassing innings and 54 run loss to New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval today, but coach Javed Miandad said the side's confidence was still strong heading into the National Bank Test series starting on Thursday

World-class left-arm spin bowler Daniel Vettori is out of the first Test against Pakistan and probably out of the three-Test series

Left-arm fast-medium bowler Shayne O'Connor could yet be available for consideration for the second and third Test matches against Pakistan

Canterbury Cricket board member David Shackleton has been appointed chairman of the board to replace Maurice Ryan who is moving to Sydney to head the Australian operation of EBOS

New Zealand A continued the Pakistan team's tour of misery through New Zealand yesterday when finishing the second day of their three-day game by pinning the visitors on the ropes

Wellington wicket-keeper Chris Nevin has had his fair share of disappointments in the last season or two, but when he caught Pakistan opener Saleem Elahi on the first day of the match with New Zealand A, he had quiet cause for satisfaction