Eight players in 2003 NZ Academy draft

Eight of New Zealand's top young cricketers have been included in the New Zealand Cricket Academy draft for this year.

The players will go into the Academy at New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre at Lincoln University on Monday, April 28 and their programme will end on October 31.

The players included are: Simon Allen (Wellington), Neil Broom (Canterbury), Peter Fulton (Canterbury), Bevan Griggs (Central Districts), James Hill (Wellington), Mark Orchard (Northern Districts), Richard Sherlock (Central Districts), Ross Taylor (Central Districts).

In order to complete the Academy-playing programme at the end of the year, other players will be added to the intake as required.

Academy director Dayle Hadlee said rehabilitating Black Caps, New Zealand A and former Academy athletes will be incorporated into the playing team.

"The value of having the younger athletes playing alongside more experienced team-mates should be beneficial in the development of these aspiring players.

"This is an exciting group of cricketers who should make a significant contribution to the game in the not too distant future," he said.

Several of the players have already made their first-class debuts. Fulton, this season, achieved a triple century for Canterbury in the State Championship while other first-class players are Griggs, Broom, Orchard and Taylor.

The players will take part in a multi-faceted programme at the Acadmy that focuses on the technical and tactical components of the game as well as physical and psychological development, life skills, cricket studies and a comprehensive cross sports training and playing programme.

Allen, 19, was captain of this summer's national Under-19 team. A wicket-keeper and top-order batsman, he scored 162 in a Provincial A match this year and finished fourth in the A tournament aggregates.

Another top performer in the A tournament was Broom, 19, who had a top score of 128 to go with his third highest aggregate of 441 runs at 73.50 in the national Under-19 tournament. He has represented New Zealand at Under-19 level for the past two seasons.

Fulton, 24, was in his second season of State first-class play this year and had a long association with the Canterbury Country team.

Griggs, 25, was wicket-keeper for CD this year and he scored a century against India in the three-day match at Napier this year.

Hill, 19, has had a solid schools background in Wellington and had an outstanding national Under-19 tournament when scoring 484 runs at 96.80 and a strike rate of 95. He was a member of the New Zealand Under-19 team this year.

Orchard, 24, was a member of the Northern Districts side this year and is both a top-order batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler.

Sherlock, 19, was a member of last year's Under-19 World Cup New Zealand team and is a bowler who generates impressive pace.

Taylor, 19, captained the national Under-19 team at last year's ICC Under-19 World Cup and made his first-class debut this year. At the national Under-19 tournament he scored 519 runs at 74.14. He was New Zealand's Young Player to Lord's last year.