Cricket: Trans-Tasman domestic cricket under discussion

1.00pm

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) hope to use this summer's reciprocal series against Australia to try to gain a foothold in their domestic competitions.

NZC chief executive Martin Snedden confirmed talks were continuing with Cricket Australia (CA) about staging trans-Tasman one-day and Twenty20 domestic competitions, the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

Snedden said exposing New Zealanders to Australian players and conditions would assist the development of the game across the Tasman.

Snedden met CA chief executive James Sutherland earlier this year to discuss the viability of matching New Zealand's elite domestic sides against the best from Australia at the end of their respective seasons.

And while talks are in their early stages, CA and NZC have floated the idea of playing a week-long Twenty20 competition between Australian and New Zealand provincial teams, as well as staging an annual playoff between the winners of each nation's first-class and domestic one-day competitions.

"We first started talks six or seven months ago... (and) we'll have quite a bit of contact over the next few months, with the reciprocal tours," Snedden said.

"We've not discussed it further, but it's still out there and it's a live issue.

"My view is that the more playing time and exposure our cricketers have to different players and conditions, the better it is for us.

"But it's also a question of whether Australia would be willing to go ahead with some of these things."

Last week, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming endorsed the notion of adding composite North and South Island sides to the Australian first-class and one-day competitions.

The concept of trans-Tasman domestic cricket isn't entirely new.

The New Zealanders, playing against Australia's state teams, won the Australasian knockout limited-overs competitions in the 1969-70, 1972-73 and 1974-75 seasons.

"The main advantages for us are that the weather over here is fantastic and the facilities are a lot greater," New Zealand allrounder Scott Styris said.

"We still don't have grass wickets to train on in my home first-class side, so we don't do any training, really, throughout the season. That makes it difficult to improve your game."

- NZPA