Australia names starting eleven for first VB Series match

Australian Cricket Board

January 10, 2002

The following eleven has been chosen for Australia's first match in this season's VB Series, against New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 11 January:

The day/night match starts at 1430.

For the first time in a one-day international tournament in Australia, this season's VB Series will include the chance for three teams - Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - to earn bonus points.

In order to secure a bonus point from any given match, a team has to have a net run-rate 1.25 runs higher than that of its opponent.

The system, introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September 2001, has been modelled on the one first used in Australia's Mercantile Mutual (now ING) Cup in 2000-01.

Another innovation for the VB Series is the playing condition that allows bowlers to deliver one bouncer per over between the height of a batsman's shoulder and head.

The umpires for the first match of the VB Series will be Darrell Hair and Bob Parry, with third umpire Richard Patterson and International Cricket Council match referee Hanumant Singh, the former Indian Test player. Parry will be making his one-day international debut as an umpire.

Tickets are still available for both matches in Melbourne this week (11 January, Australia v New Zealand and 13 January, Australia v South Africa).

© 2002 Australian Cricket Board