Cricket: Black Caps 'invited to tri-series'

The Black Caps look likely to play Australia and England in a tri-series next summer.

Australia host England for the Ashes series from November-December with the Black Caps being offered a spot for the one-day series in January.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden declined to discuss the development yesterday as Cricket Australia is still finalising its Ashes schedule.

But the Dominion Post reported today New Zealand will be involved in the tri-series starting after the final Ashes test scheduled for January 2-6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

England, Australia and New Zealand will play each other four times in the round-robin phase, with the top two fighting it out in a best-of-three finals format.

New Zealand's inclusion is a significant boost to their World Cup buildup, which had looked light on both quality opponents and matches.

Only 15 one-day matches were scheduled between the end of this summer and the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies in March.

A further 11 would be added if New Zealand made the final.

The headache now for New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia is how to schedule in the three match Chappell-Hadlee series.

One option was doubling up the two, meaning the first three matches between New Zealand and Australia in the VB series count as next season's version of the Chappell-Hadlee.

The other options seem less appealing, with either having it being played at the completion of the VB series or squeezed in between the ICC Champions Trophy in India in November and the first Ashes set down for Brisbane on November 23.

There is also a nine-day gap between the second and third Ashes tests, but Australian captain Ricky Ponting has already made his feelings clear about that possibility.

Meanwhile, Black Caps bowler Shane Bond, who missed the Chappell-Hadlee series with an injured hamstring, told Radio Sport today he was close to full fitness and was looking to play in the third round of the State Championship for Canterbury starting on Monday.

- nzpa