Cricket: Winners will score $1m purse

How much do New Zealand want to win the Champions Trophy? Let us count the dollars ... er ... that is, the reasons.

If New Zealand manage to go the distance and repeat their success of six years ago, the 14-man squad stand to carry off a minimum purse of just over $1 million or about $75,000 each.

On the other hand, elimination in next week's semifinal would leave the Pool B qualifiers with a mere $403,000 or $28,000 a man, slightly less than their winning stake at the 2000 tournament. On that occasion, after New Zealand won the final at Nairobi, the 14-man squad won prizemoney totalling US$340,000 (about $500,000 at present rates).

The unexpected payday remains the only time New Zealand have won an international cricket tournament and hopes are high they can now become the first team to win the trophy twice.

South Africa won the inaugural tournament (then called the ICC Knockout Trophy) in India and Sri Lanka shared the title in 2002, and the West Indies won it in 2004.

However, before they can start counting their spoils, New Zealand face a daunting semifinal against a still unknown opponent at a venue that will only be decided this morning, at the end of the Pakistan-South Africa game.

The tournament format has the Pool A winner meeting the Pool B runner-up in the first semi on Wednesday and the Pool B winner playing the Pool A runner-up in the second on Thursday.

Depending on the result of the Pakistan-South Africa match, New Zealand will either be confirmed as Pool B's top seeds and will head for a semifinal in Jaipur on Thursday or will be travelling back to Chandigarh for the earlier semi on Wednesday.

As for New Zealand's opponents, the permutations remain varied despite the West Indies sweeping into the semifinals with another upset win yesterday, this one against India.

The Windies, who knocked over Australia in their opening Pool A fixture, will definitely qualify as Pool A's No 1 seed if they can back up against England tonight and might even manage to remain in pole position if they lose.

The last semifinalist will be determined only at the end of what's shaping as an epic, winner-takes-all showdown between world No 1 ranked Australia and tournament hosts India at Mohali tomorrow night.

Australia, who have won the past two World Cup titles, have never won a Champions Trophy and made a poor start to this season's campaign when they slipped up against the West Indians at Mumbai.

However, Ricky Ponting's side bounced back soon after to overturn a hopeless England rabble at Jaipur and will probably start as favourites tomorrow night despite India's home ground advantage.

The match is shaping as a colossal contest, with one world-class team sure to be eliminated and another destined to push on to the semifinals, and a possible shootout against New Zealand.

* Meanwhile, Indian coach Greg Chappell's comment in May that the West Indies had forgotten how to win is still motivating the Caribbean team, captain Brian Lara said yesterday.

The West Indies sealed a tense three-wicket Champions Trophy win with two balls remaining yesterday for their sixth victory in seven matches against India since Chappell made the remark.

"Going back to that statement that Greg [Chappell] made in Jamaica, the guys are really determined each time they get out on to the field against India," Lara said.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed a half century in his 200th one-day cricket international and Ian Bradshaw chipped in with three key wickets as the West Indies beat India after restricting them to 223 for nine off their 50 overs and then kept their nerve to score 224 for seven off 49.4 overs.

Schedule

* Overnight: Pakistan v South Africa, Mohali.
* Tonight: West Indies v England, Ahmedabad.
* Tomorrow: Australia v India, Mohali.
* Ist semi: Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B, Wednesday, Mohali.
* 2nd semi: Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A, Thursday, Jaipur.
* Final: Tomorrow week in Mumbai.

Trophy payday

* $250,000 entry bonus.
* $76,000 per pool win.
* $190,000 for each finalist.
* $455,000 to the winner.