Date-stamped : 13 Jan98 - 11:26 13 Jan 1998 Gauteng kit gesture aids tournament paupers Trecor Chesterfield Johannesburg - Senior Gauteng players have become benefactors to the paupers of the MTN under19 World Cup tournament, Papua New Guinea. Led by former New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford, the Gauteng (formerly Transvaal) players cleared their lockers of old gear to aid the teenagers from the tiny cricket nation with a large consigment of equipment on the opening day of the tournament. With only 10 teams in the capital Port Morseby, and several more in the surrounding area Papua New Guinea are not the most advantaged sided taking part in the three-week festival. They arrived in South Africa last week possibly the most ill-equipped side among the 16 countries playing in the tournament. They had only qualified for the tournament in Hong Kong a week or two before Christmas and apart from a couple three sets of pads and gloves and three bats they had little else. Not surprisingly, the sharp eye of Doug Russell, transport co-ordinator of the cup committee, spotted the team's lack of eqipment on their arrival at Johannesburg International Airport last week. Instead of each player wheeling out the usual coffin, assistant manager Tomasi Toua had two old delapidated brown leather bags with the scanty eqipment while several of the players had a few items of gear. With the Australian Cricket Board stepping in to help sponsor the team's air fares and some Papua New Guinea business also helping out, the side was in need of a helping hand. Russell has been the UCB liasion officer with a number of touring Test sides was stunned by the revalation. He contacted Gauteng Cricket Board's new chairman Barry Skjoldhammer to see if something could not be done to help the vistors. After a brief conversation Skjolddhammer talked to Ray Jennings the GCB director of coaching who in turn contacted the players to help out. As a result an embarrassed but "extremely grateful" Paupa New Guinea manager/coach William Maha was almost in tears when the team was presented with four "coffins" of equipment on the opening day of the tournament Opened on Sunday to an African theme as well at the beat of the drums with ICC president, Jagmohan Dalmiya said the event heralded the start of the new era for expansion of the game and its globalisation policy. This included taking the game to China and America. Trevor Chesterfield Cricket writer Pretoria News tche@ptn.independent.co.za Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)