None of the newspapers, radio or television had anything on the arrival of the Sri Lankan cricketers.
Considering that the Lankans were the limited overs game stalwarts, a little space announcing their arrival would not have gone waste.
Many of the Sri Lankans domiciled in Auckland were clueless as to the arrival of their homeland cricketers and they had to make frantic calls to each other inquiring as to when, and what time, the world champions were touching down.
Stepmotherly treatment?
The Lankans here feel that this is a stepmotherly treatment. A bit of publicity would have helped us to draw up an elaborate program for our country's cricketers, they said.
However the Sri Lankans in Auckland have organised a dinner-dance to honour the cricketers. It is to be held on March 22 with the help of the Sri Lankan Cricket Club whose president is Amita Weerakoon, a former Thurstan, Nomads and Liberty SC cricketer.
Weerakoon is quite an active cricketer here and at one time used to open bowling for his club Grafton SC with former Kiwi paceman Willie Watson. Over 300 revellers are expected to attend this dance.
Team not bothered
The cricketers however were not bothered by the lack of reception. They were their usual cheerful selves and all smiles, disembarking in Christchurch from where they move to Taupo for their first game.
In the meantime, there is an umpire named 'Billy' Bowden who is endeavouring to give umpiring a new concept. 33-year-old Bowden whose cricket career it is said was interrupted by arthritis turned to umpiring and is making an art of it that is sure to be followed or enjoyed by his counterparts in the cricketing world.
This is how the 'New Zealand Herald' described Bowden's way of doing his thing out in the middle.
''Meet 'Billy' Bowden, the umpire who put a wriggle and a waggle into the New Zealand-England one-day cricket international at Eden Park.
''Born 33 years ago as Brent, Bowden's promising batting career was interrupted by arthritis, so he turned to umpiring.
''While the status changed, Bowden retained his sense of humour, and he wants to use it even in the traditionally strait-laced world of international umpiring.
''Before close to 30,000 spectators in the second-one dayer won by England, he added a few extra rhythmic wobbles of the leg and the arm when signalling leg-byes, wides, fours and sixes.
Bowden said: The spectators enjoy one-day games, the players enjoy the one-day games, so I see no reason the umpires should not add a flourish or two to add to the atmosphere and their own enjoyment.
''Cricket, especially one-day cricket, can be a lot of fun for the players and the spectators, so why not for the umpires?'' queries Bowden.
Little wonder then that the limited overs game has been given many funny names and also calling it 'cowboy games'.