Academy intake 2002 gets match play with TelstraClear Black Caps
New Zealand Cricket - 9 April 2002

The New Zealand Cricket Academy intake will be bolstered by three members of the TelstraClear Black Caps awaiting Test duties in Pakistan, for a series of two two-day matches against last year's Academy intake this week.

The first two-day match begins today at the New Zealand Academy ground, Lincoln Green, at Lincoln University.

The teams will be joined by Test batsman, Mark Richardson, Test bowler, Chris Martin, and new Test wicket-keeper Robbie Hart, who will play in Thursday's game. Two Under-19 World Cup players who are on Lincoln scholarships, Richard Sherlock (fast bowler) and Michael Bates plus last year's New Zealand Under-19 representative Andrew Ellis (all-rounder) will make up the sides.

The opposition will be made up of last winter's Academy members.

New Zealand Cricket Academy director, Dayle Hadlee, said the two matches will set a benchmark for the new Academy members and will be used to identify the players' strengths and weaknesses.

"We look on these two two-day matches as 'proficiency' games. It gives the Academy staff an opportunity to assess the players under match conditions and will provide valuable information about the players' individual strengths and weaknesses which will be explored further during the eight-month long Academy programme.

"It is an added bonus for the Academy members to play alongside three international players. I am certain they will learn a great deal from observing how these vastly more experienced players approach match situations," Hadlee said.

The two matches will be played 9-10 April and 11-12 April at Lincoln Green from 10am each day.

The two teams are:

New Zealand Academy 2001: Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Luke Woodcock, Jonathan McNamee, Greg Todd, Warren McSkimming, Nathan McCullum, Taraia Robin, Richard Sherlock, Chris Martin, Michael Bates.

New Zealand Academy 2002: Jesse Ryder, Mark Richardson, Shanan Stewart, Andrew Ellis, Aaron Redmond, Jordan Sheed, Stuart Mills, Iain Robertson, Mark Gillespie, Gareth Shaw, James McMillan.

The New Zealand Test players are due to leave for the Test series in Pakistan on 23 April.

Teams	New Zealand.
Players/Umpires	Mark Richardson, Chris Martin, Robbie Hart, Richard Sherlock, Michael Bates, Andrew Ellis, Dayle Hadlee, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Luke Woodcock, Jonathan McNamee, Greg Todd, Warren McSkimming, Nathan McCullum, Taraia Robin, Richard Sherlock, Michael Bates, Jesse Ryder, Shanan Stewart, Aaron Redmond, Jordan Sheed, Stuart Mills, Iain Robertson, Mark Gillespie, Gareth Shaw, James McMillan.