Cricket: More fizz in Shell Cup

By Richard Boock and NZPA

The introduction of a World Series-type best-of-three final in cricket's Shell Cup competition will be the main feature of the summer's domestic cricket programme expected to be announced today.

In a departure from the usual one-match final, this season's Shell Cup showpiece will involve the possibility of three matches, with the first to be played at the home venue of the lower-seeded finalists, and the following two, if necessary, at the home of the top seed.

Thought to provide a more creditable and worthy winner, the finals format seems likely to be played in early February, between the end of the West Indies visit and the start of the Australian series.

The other main change will involve the suspension of the early-season four-day Conference series, which is being shelved due to the early tour from the West Indies and the unavailability of the New Zealand squad, who will be on duty in India until November 20.

Otherwise, the domestic programme remains similar to last season's, with the four-day Shell Trophy competition to start in February and again to be played over five rounds, culminating in a final.

The late-ish start means many cricketers not quite good enough to command a place in the national A side will not play any first-class cricket until deep into the season.

The summer's programme, much of which will be shown on Sky Television this season, will again start at the end of next month with the third-generation game Cricket Max.

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Former international medium-pacer Martin Snedden is returning to the national executive.

Snedden, an Auckland lawyer, first served on the New Zealand Cricket Council soon after he retired from playing in 1990. He resigned in 1993, citing work and family commitments.

He was a member of the Hood committee which laid out a new governance structure for NZC in 1996, but has now accepted an invitation to sit on the board of NZC.

"I'd always been keen to get back involved in administration and over the years I have had several discussions with Christopher Doig about getting involved again," he said.

"There's been a huge amount of progress on the administrative side of the game, but they need more people who have had international cricket experience on the board."