What a difference a competitive team makes!

While the TelstraClear Black Caps and White Ferns have achieved a much greater level of competitiveness on the field, the administration have been backing their efforts.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) achieved a $3,088,236 turnaround last summer to end their financial year with a surplus of $1,347,265, after grants and distributions to associations had been completed.

Its net operating surplus was $6,987,873 according to the annual report released over the weekend.

The volume of business cricket's administrative body now does was obvious from the $3,599,446 increase in its total operating revenue which now stands at $22,777,215.

Significant areas of cost to NZC were in its administration and marketing which was up by $1,103,918 and in coaching and development which increased by $120,633 to $2,104,760.

These were offset by costs involving international teams being down by $2,187,427 from $8,597,185.

Grants and distributions to Associations were up by $851,119 to $5,190,608 while special grants to Associations were $1,347,265.

Also on the way up are player participation numbers, although this was partly due to a change in the method of census. In order to fall in with Australian practice, players who take part in business house and social league games were also included.

However, the greatest area of growth was in the junior playing numbers. These increased by 7092 to 69,748.

Adult playing numbers increased by 4172 to 24,819 while male adult numbers increased by 3893 to 23,250 which means 94,000 people participate in cricket.

The emphasis on marketing was reflected in the results achieved. The season was described as a "landmark season" in the annual report.

Attendances at the National Bank One-Day International games this year were up 18% on expectation and nearly 100,000 watched the five-match series against England.

This resulted in a six-year high in average attendances at ODIs.

The highlight was the sell-out crowd achieved at Eden Park for the fourth match in the series.

The touring England team also had an effect in the three-Test National Bank series with 62,000 people watching. This figure was boosted by English touring groups.

The game's popularity with the public continued to rise steadily. The National Business Review Sports' Survey reported that interest in cricket was at its highest level since the survey began in 1993, with 70%.

The hunt is still on for better conditions for participants below the international level.

NZC acknowledged that pitch standards had improved at the highest levels but there was much work to be done at lower levels.

"The consistency of pitches for the first-class men's and women's game and Provincial 'A' is still not at a satisfactory level. This is a target area for NZC, along with the need for an increase in the number, quality and consistency of practice facilities nationwide.

"At club and junior level it has become clear that the use of artificial surfaces must become a greater part of the game.

"Many sports have gone through the transition from natural turf to artificial surfaces and cricket needs to realise the advantages of good artificial surfaces at many levels of the game.

"The more consistent pace and bounce of these surfaces will provide a much better learning environment for young cricketers than the rather inconsistent and low bouncing turf facilities provided to many of these grades," the report said.

An area of concern highlighted in the report is the problem being suffered in the recruitment and retention of umpires.

Over the last two years the number of umpires officiating has dropped by 10% in each year.

"Development of a strategy to recruit and retain umpires is a key task for the coming year. A key strand of that strategy will include providing encouragement and enticement to former first-class players to take up an officiating role," the report said.

The report is available online at nzcricket.co.nz.

© CricInfo