Central Districts is expecting a huge response from schools in its region to its cricket development programme.

Central Districts (CD) chief executive Blair Furlong reported to yesterday's CD annual meeting in Palmerston North that there has been wide acceptance of the New Zealand Cricket-driven programme which will be in full swing in the CD regions when several players return from winter contracts in England.

"We've been told from various schools we have visited that schools will be lining up to get us to visit them," Furlong said.

"We don't expect we will get to every school this year, but then, if they ring us and ask..?

"Most of the regions are doing school visits now, but they haven't been under the consolidated scheme NZC is introducing," he said.

At the meeting officers for the year and coaches and selectors were elected.

They were: Patron, Sir Joseph Ongley KBE; president, Russell Robinson; chairman, John Fluker; management committee, Scott Briasco, Graham Morrison, John Smith, Trevor Smith, Viv Stephens, David Townend.

Selectors: Central Districts: Basil Netten (convener), Dipak Patel, Barry Roberts.

CD 2nd XI: Mark Greatbatch (coach and convener), Bill Duff, Basil Netten.

CD U-19: Richard Hayward (convener), Graeme Young, Grant Tucker.

CD U-17: Warren Marr (convener), John Cunliffe, Graham Sherlock.

The only change on The Management committee was the retirement of John Cunliffe, who was replaced by Nelson's John Smith. Smith played 62 games for CD from 1983/84-1990/91, hit seven centuries and scored 3499 runs at 32.10. He is seventh on the all-time CD run-scoring list.

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