Cricket: Provinces' $ 100,000 bonus

New Zealand Cricket's six major provincial associations will each receive a special $100,000 grant to compensate for reduced earnings from last season's Shell Cup match gates.

Dates for the one-day domestic competition clashed with itineraries involving India and South Africa and attendances were down.

However, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) yesterday announced a $5.5 million profit for the year ended May 31 - with $3.9m to be shared among the major associations. In 1997-98 the pre-grant profit was $1.083m.

Each overall grant varied, depending on the association's population base, player numbers and other criteria.

NZC chief executive Christopher Doig was satisfied revenue increased to $20.5m, up from the $11.2m made the previous year.

"1999 was a very good year for cricket, from results on the field, increased attendances and a growing stable of sponsors."

However, there was no room for complacency with "constant pressure on cricket from the extended rugby season and uncertainty surrounding the attraction of quality international sides to New Zealand."

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire's Mark Alleyne will captain the England A squad on their tour of Bangladesh and New Zealand, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced yesterday.

England A will depart on October 17 for a three-week trip to Bangladesh where they will play a three-day match, a four-day match and a day-night game against their hosts.

The team travel to New Zealand on November 5 where they will play two tests and three one-day matches against New Zealand A.

England A: Mark Alleyne (Gloucestershire, captain), Rob Turner (Somerset), Michael Davies (Northamptonshire), Paul Franks (Nottinghamshire), Michael Gough (Durham), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Aftab Habib (Leicestershire), Ronnie Irani (Essex), David Sales (Northamptonshire), Chris Schofield (Lancashire), Alamgir Sheriyar (Worcestershire), Chris Silverwood (Yorkshire), Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Ian Ward (Surrey).