Northern Districts Cricket announces Samsung Cricket Masters Tournament

Northern Districts Cricket today announced a new initiative in hosting the inaugural Samsung Cricket Masters Tournament to be held in Taupo on the weekend of March 14-16.

The tournament will bring together a "who's who" of former international and first-class players. The concept of the tournament is to acknowledge a group of participants who have contributed so much to the game in the past and to encourage them to play an active part in the future.

The success of the inaugural tournament will ensure the event evolves to promote even greater participation in the future. Taupo was chosen as the venue for the inaugural tournament due to its central North Island location, suitability of venues, support of the Taupo District Council, and added attractions for supporters, families and friends.

Events and communications manager for Northern Districts Cricket Gary Taylor remarked:

"By establishing this tournament we hope to make it an annual event on our calendar and grow the event so the game of cricket can become more accessible to many 'masters' looking to participate. At a time when the volunteer base of many sports is quickly evaporating we see this as a positive move to encourage people back into our game who may become administrators, coaches, managers or mentors."

The 2003 Samsung Cricket Masters Tournament has very obviously been embraced by the North Island Associations invited to participate by the quality of the teams selected thus far.

The teams are:

Auckland:

Lindsay Crocker
Martin Bradley
Alan Hunt
Martin Pringle
Dipak Patel
Paul Kelly
Trevor Franklin
Stephen Brown
Phil Horne
Nigel Scott
Bill Fowler
Warren Stott
Craig Presland
Ian Fisher

Northern Districts:

Mike Wright (captain)
Graham Burnett
Derek Beard
Brendon Bracewell
Eric Gillott
Cliff Dickeson
Murray Child
Barry Cooper
Grant Gibson
Richard de Groen
Neil Pollock
Mark McKinnon
Bruce Blair

Central Districts:

Stu Duff
Jock Edwards
Paul Gibbs
Murray Jamieson
Alistar Jordan
Barry Roberts
Lincoln Doull
Gary Robertson
Ian Smith
Paul Lowes
Derek Stirling
Matthew Toynbee
Wayne Hodgson
Roger Pierce

Wellington:

Robert Vance
Evan Gray
Ervin McSweeney
Steve Maguiness
Stewart Cater
Brian Cederwall
Grant Cederwall
Ross Ormiston
Tim Ritchie
Christopher Ross
Andrew Jones
Andrew Davey
Bruce Edgar
Jeremy Coney
Jonathan Millmow

The matches will be 40 overs per side with a maximum of seven overs per bowler. The other rules will be those currently used in limited over cricket.

Northern Districts Cricket is sincerely appreciative of the support given to this tournament by the Radiola Corporation and look to maintain this relationship in years to come.