NZ And Zimbabwe Go Into Battle For Wooden Spoon (13 May 1997)

13 May 1997

NZ And Zimbabwe Go Into Battle For Wooden Spoon

by Geoff Longley

Test cricket battlers, Zimbabwe and New Zealand will decide world wooden spoon supremacy during next season.

Zimbabwe will tour New Zealand during February and early March reciprocating a visit New Zealand is making there during September and October this year.

Zimbabwe, which toured New Zealand two seasons ago, is schedule

to play two tests and five one-day matches at venues which are yet to be decided.

New Zealand had originally been scheduled to host India this season, but it withdrew before last Christmas leaving NZC casting about for a replacement.

Sri Lanka, which visited here during the latter part of the past season, was lined up to return, but NZC general manager Tim Murdoch said there was some difficulty with finding compatible schedules.

While Zimbabwe will provide the most playing days, the centre piece will be a four-game one-day series against Australia between February 8 and 14 at Auckland, Napier, Wellington, and Christchurch.

New Zealand plays both countries overseas before Christmas. It visits Zimbabwe from September 10 for a tour comprising two tests and three one-day internationals.

This is designed to provide New Zealand with significant match-play before its full Australian tour which includes three tests, in Brisbane, Hobart, and Perth, then the triangular World Series Cup competition against the home nation and South Africa.

The home series against Zimbabwe is expected to end around March 8 leaving the New Zealand players available for latter Shell Trophy rounds.

When Zimbabwe toured in 1995-96 the two test series was drawn 0-0 and the contest again shapes as the two bottom-placed test nations according to latest rankings, despite New Zealand's 2-0 win against Sri Lanka.

The 1998-99 season looks more appealing with India re-booked to visit during December and January followed by South Africa in February-March.

Meanwhile, recommendations from last week's executive directors meeting for the coming domestic season, including the newly-proposed Conference Cricket, will go to an NZC board meeting on May 23.

Two drafts were presented to the meeting, one with Conference Cricket, one without.

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