Cricket: Elliott's 11th-hour capital gain

A tug of war between Wellington and Canterbury over the services of South African allrounder Grant Elliott has sparked the interest of the Players' Association.

The six major associations last week announced their 11 contracted players for the 2005-06 season and Wellington appear to have found a loophole to lure the former Gauteng player from Canterbury.

Elliott had been earmarked for one of Canterbury's contracted spots but eight hours before Canterbury was to forward their list to New Zealand Cricket and the Players' Association, Elliott informed them he was moving to Wellington.

As the transfer deadline between associations was June 30, this meant Wellington, who can promise Elliott more regular first-class cricket than Black Cap-laden Canterbury, had to sign him as an overseas player, despite Elliott's wish to gain permanent residency in New Zealand.

This piqued the interest of the Association.

"We would prefer if they were going to spend money on an overseas player that it would be on a quality international to add profile and interest to the competition," Players' Association manager Heath Mills said.

Mills, who received the lists three days before they were made public, contacted the associations involved and is satisfied that Elliott intends to live here and, down the track, will become available for the Black Caps should he prove himself to be international quality.

Canterbury chief executive Richard Reid is satisfied that Elliott left for cricket reasons but questions whether his overseas player status will retard his qualification process.

After playing two seasons for Marist in Christchurch, Elliott had completed two years of the three-year process by living at least 183 days of the year in New Zealand (he plays in Holland during the off-season). Under ICC qualification rules, Elliott might drop back to year one of that process now.

From a cricketing perspective Reid is disappointed: "I like him, I think he can play a bit," he said.

Reid said the selectors would have looked at different selection models had they been given more warning.

Previously he had played 18 matches for Gauteng.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY