Auckland Cricket enjoyed a $2million turnover for the first time last summer.

This was despite an indifferent season involving the CLEAR Black Caps.

Auckland chief executive Lindsay Crocker commented in the ACA annual report released today: "Much of our income is leveraged around the international season, but the form of the CLEAR Black Caps in South Africa as a prelude, inconsistent form upon their return home and the crowd indifference to the touring sides meant income generation from this source was below expectation."

Crocker said he was sure the lull in public interest would only be short term as England would be a popular tourist this summer, and the continuing improvement to player depth in New Zealand now offered realistic replacement options.

"We have managed to retain our profitability through the continued support of, principally, New Zealand Cricket through their various grants, our many and varied sponsors and great support from the ASB Community Trust.

"Critically, though, this year we gained valuable extra support from the Lion Foundation, Southern Regions Charitable Trust, New Zealand Community Trust, Whitehouse Tavern Trust and the City of Sails Trust.

"This source of funds, through gaming machines, was the critical difference in retaining profitability and thus being able to deliver the game to the region. It also remains a critical source of funds for all of our clubs," Crocker said.

The net operating surplus for the year was $16,935, down from $48,067 last year.

The distribution to clubs was also down, from $106,425 last year to $84,850 this year.

A $397,659 increase in sponsorships and grants and memberships lifted income from that area to $1,692,791 and took the total gross revenue to $2,043,027, an increase in 12 months of $397,659.

Significant cost increases occurred with the return to two rounds of Shell Trophy cricket. These costs rose by $139,169 while ground costs rose by $59,108, public relations and promotions by $68,441 and coaching and MILO development by $62,491.

Despite the increased financial burden on the Association, Crocker welcomed the two rounds of the Shell Trophy. It produced a more exacting test for the best provincial team and was a greater mechanism to develop talented players, he said.

"It was a pleasure to see those players, from whatever association, transfer good domestic form into international form.

"This expansion brings new challenges as administrators though, as we are creating a layer of semi-professionals with cricket as their primary income source.

"The challenge is to ensure the best players are adequately remunerated to stay in the game, yet all players develop their out of cricket skills to ensure they do not lag behind their contemporaries in the commercial market place at career end," he said.

One area that Auckland will be attacking this year is the continued development of midget and junior cricket. This was the most vibrant area of the game in Auckland.

"We will look to identify reasons for drop off at key stages, seek remedies for that and try to establish strong ties between junior and senior sections of clubs (where those ties do not already exist).

"We will also seek to find a logical and mutually agreeable solution to the tricky problem of club and schools sharing the same playing time-slot.

"The review will look at formats of the game, time commitments and representative play. It will be a process of identifying and improving strengths, identifying and presenting solutions to weaknesses," Crocker said.

© CricInfo