New Zealand set to resolve fixture wrangle

New Zealand cricket is trying to resolve a clash between cricket and rugby which is holding up confirmation of the schedule of the England tour in February-March 2008.

Both NZC and Auckland Rugby have targeted Saturday, February 16 to host events at Eden Park. The cricket board have inked in the third ODI against the tourists at the stadium, while the Blues have also pencilled in a Super 14 rugby derby against the Chiefs on that date.

The independent Eden Park Trust board have met to discuss the clash last week and meet again on Tuesday to finalise the issue.

"We've tried to work as much as possible with Auckland Rugby and there were good intentions on both sides," Justin Vaughan, chief executive NZC, told The New Zealand Herald.

"But you can't have rugby and cricket on the park that weekend. It's an unfortunate sequence of events. It's just a fact of life we're going to have to work out how we manage these fixtures in the future.

"It has to be decided by Eden Park and we'll both abide by that decision."

England will play three Tests, a five-match ODI series and two Twenty20 games against New Zealand next year before a return series between the two in England in May and June.