New Zealand: Maxwell available for cup campaign (25 Nov 1997)

November 25, 1997

Maxwell available for cup campaign

From The Press

Australian Neil Maxwell, New Zealand Cricket's marketing manager, is available to play for Canterbury for some of its Shell Cup campaign.

Maxwell, an all-rounder who reached Australia A status two seasons ago, wanted to play in the Shell series last season but work commitments prevented that.

However, Maxwell said yesterday he will return to Christchurch on January 4 after a Christmas break in Australia and is available, if required for the second half of Canterbury's 50-over series.

Maxwell has the approval of New Zealand Cricket chief executive Christopher Doig to play in the one-day competition which reaches its climax on January 24.

"I'm free to play from then on and would like to but it's over to Canterbury now," Maxwell said.

Canterbury selection panel convener Brian McKechnie said the selectors would weigh up Maxwell's situation. Canterbury is the reigning Shell Cup champion having won the limited-over title four out of the last five seasons.

The Canterbury selectors will have the province's New Zealand players available for the first three Cup rounds before they rejoin the national team in Australia for the tri-series one-day tournament with South Africa and Australia. Canterbury is then likely to lose Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan who have all-round claims plus Stephen Fleming.

A further two games follow before Maxwell becomes available for the final five round-robin matches and play-offs.

Maxwell has been in good early season form for Riccarton, the competition leader.

Fortunately Canterbury has several all-rounders reappearing, Mark Hastings and Glenn Muir having returned to club play after being sidelined with illness and injury respectively and they are likely to be key support players when the New Zealand players depart.

Meanwhile, prize-money for the new cricket max competition is more than double the high profile Shell Cup. Sponsor Sky Television is responsible for injecting $50,000 in prize-money for the max series of which the winner takes $25,000.

In comparison the higher profile Shell Cup and Shell Trophy competitions, while having their prize-money boosted this season to $15,000 and $5000 for the runner-up, rather pales by comparison.

At Conference level $12,000 is on offer, winner-take-all, for the champions of the Shell Shield and Conference.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)