Cricket: Mid-winter break cut short

By RICHARD BOOCK

The New Zealand cricketers' mid-winter hibernation has been shortened by a couple of weeks following a decision to attend a one-day tournament in Singapore.

The welcome five month-long break from international play will end in mid-August when a New Zealand one-day side prepare to square off against India and South Africa.

NZC chief excutive Chris Doig said the New Zealanders would play a minimum of four and a maximum of seven matches from August 20 to 31.

New Zealand sides have been playing virtually non-stop international cricket since attending the Commonwealth Games tournament in September 1998 and, although the layoff over winter will be gratefully accepted by the players, the schedule from August onwards smacks of another marathon sequence.

After the Singapore experience, New Zealand will probably continue, either partially or completely, to Africa for the start of the series against Zimbabwe, during which time they will nip over to Kenya for the ICC Knockout tournament, before returning to complete their commitments in Harare.

At the end of the Zimbabwe series, New Zealand then begin a full-scale tour of South Africa which will keep them abroad until December, when they return for the home fixtures against Zimbabwe and Pakistan.