The nature of their predicament was forcibly if unwittingly expressed by one of the national selectors, Mike Shrimpton, when he said in answer to suggestions that New Zealand's A team should tour Australia later this year: ``The spirit for such a tour is there but the money isn't.''

Here, in a nutshell, was the reason for the emphasis on limitedovers internationals, domestic one-day cricket and Cricket Max to bring in the cash that is needed by New Zealand Cricket, who took over two years ago from a bankrupt New Zealand Cricket Board.

The former Test batsman John Fulton Reid, now NZC's operations manager, explained the situation further after the first two days of New Zealand A's match against the touring Sri Lankans at Gisborne had been washed out. ``We need to redefine our priorities. We have a youth team which goes away every second year and there are other sides, including the development side, the academy side and a woman's academy XI to be considered. We like the A-team concept but you have to be able to offer reciprocal arrangements wherever you go.''

This, in turn, means paying the expenses of low-profile visiting sides who would tour here at a loss. It is hardly ideal for New Zealand to be starting a Test on Friday against Sri Lanka in Dunedin two days after the scheduled reserve day for today's international against England, but NZC is even more in hock to the sponsors and television companies than the governing bodies of the game in other countries.

At least the rain means that Sri Lanka will be under-prepared for a Test. Their three-day game against the A team has been changed to a one-day affair today.