COACH: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has launched an international search for its new national coach. Chief executive Justin Vaughan today called for applications for the role, nine months before incumbent John Bracewell is contracted to finish. He said in a statement that he wanted to hear from "suitably qualified candidates from throughout the world". "We are looking for candidates who have the experience and drive to both improve the Black Caps in both forms of the game," Vaughan said.... more>

PROVINCIAL CONTRACTS: A Wellington teenager has become the province’s first schoolboy cricketer to be offered a playing contract. Harry Boam, 17, was today named among Wellington’s list of contracted players for the 2008-09 domestic season, one of a number of promising juniors promoted to first-class level by New Zealand’s six major associations. English-born allrounder Boam has emulated New Zealand under-19 teammate and fellow student Corey Anderson, who gained a... more>

CRICKET: Injuries suffered by New Zealand cricketer Daniel Flynn when a bouncer smashed his helmet grille were bound to happen, British researchers into safety equipment say. The 23-year-old is missing a bottom tooth after four separate visits to the dentist, after a James Anderson bouncer smashed into his face. The blow on the head left Flynn with nausea for five days. Experiments on helmets at Loughborough University over the past few months have shown helmets such as that worn by... more>

CRICKET: New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris will not be censured for sending an expletive-laced text to former teammate-turned-commentator Mark Richardson. Styris twice texted Richardson over what he believed to have been a negative newspaper article written by Richardson following the controversial one-day match against England last month. The first one sarcastically thanked Richardson for the article before describing him as a "geriatric ----head". It is then understood to have added:... more>

CRICKET: The Government has praised New Zealand Cricket for voting for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the International Cricket Council. However in a letter to NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan, released to NZPA, Sports Minister Clayton Cosgrove urges the body not to let the Black Caps tour Zimbabwe next year. Mr Cosgrove wrote about the deplorable situation in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe’s regime, human rights abuses and recent farce of an election. He told Mr Vaughan that the... more>

BLACK CAPS: Brendon McCullum and James Marshall scored maiden one-day international cricket centuries in style today as a rampant New Zealand outclassed Ireland by a record margin in Aberdeen. McCullum made up for a few quiet ODIs against England with 166 off 135 balls and Marshall 161 off 141 as the Black Caps won by 290 runs in their first match of a triangular series involving Scotland as well. Both had 11 fours and McCullum 10 sixes and Marshall four against a weakened Irish attack at... more>

TOUR OF ENGLAND: A "mad hour" in Manchester was still gnawing away at coach John Bracewell as he assessed New Zealand’s cricket tour which ended with their best performance in the finale at Lord’s. Led by man-of-the-match Scott Styris’ excellent 87 not out and captain Daniel Vettori’s killer spell of three for 32, the 51-run victory in the fifth one-day international gave New Zealand a 3-1 series victory to retain their world ranking of three. In tests, it was the... more>

CRICKET: New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell is willing and able to take his team to Pakistan in August -- if asked. Bracewell’s cryptic comments about his immediate future continued as he basked in the side’s deserved 3-1 one-day international series win over England from the players’ balcony at Lord’s. Speculation continues that Bracewell will walk away from the national job before his contract ends next April, as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) prepare to... more>

TOUR OF ENGLAND: New Zealand’s rejuvenated cricketers promise to go out with a flourish in pursuit of a series win at Lord’s tomorrow night (NZT) as Kevin Pietersen tries to prove himself a worthy England captain. After a scarcely believable 24 hours, New Zealand were dealt another good card when villain-of-the-moment Paul Collingwood copped a four-match ban for his side’s slow over rate in Wednesday’s fourth one-day international. It robbed England of their top... more>

TOUR OF ENGLAND: As if being booed by his own fans and slammed in the newspapers wasn’t enough, England cricket captain Paul Collingwood was today hit with a four-match suspension. Collingwood was banned for his team’s slow over rates during New Zealand’s controversial one-wicket victory at The Oval, thereby ruling him out of Saturday’s fifth one-day international at Lord’s and handing Kevin Pietersen the England captaincy for the first time. With a besieged... more>