Cini, managing director of the Action indoor sports stadium, headquarters for the championships, believes New Zealand Cricket and its indoor counterpart should take a lead from Australia.
``The Australian Cricket Board and Australian Indoor Cricket Federation share the same offices and have enormous discussions together on promotion. The ACB are right behind the indoor World Cup (in Melbourne in October) because it's good publicity for cricket,'' said Cini, who hails from Melbourne.
He listed the Waugh brothers, Mark and Steve, Bruce Reid, Steve Smith, Graham Yallop, and Carl Rackemann as some Australian outdoor internationals to have also made their mark indoors.
Lee Germon and Chris Harris were among a comparative handful of New Zealanders who have flourished in both codes. ``Indoor cricket in New Zealand isn't pushing itself enough. The two groups, outdoor and indoor, don't communicate at all,'' said Cini. A stumbling block was the perception by outdoor cricket administrators that indoor cricket taught players bad batting habits. ``That's bollocks, that's the old school thing,'' said Cini.
Indoor cricket's emphasis was on straight bowling, a full range of strokes, agility in the field, and quick-fire action. He compared it with limited-over cricket, even more so with Cricket Max.
Indoor cricket advocates have looked on rather cynically at the development of Cricket Max and its variations, especially in rewarding batsmen for hitting straight and when numbers were reduced to eight-a-side. They believe they know where Martin Crowe got his ideas from.
After yesterday's games:
Men (points after two rounds)
Section 1.-- Valley 16, Cricket Wicket No. 1 10, North Canterbury 8, Takapuna 8, Action 3, Maidstone 2.
Section 2.-- North Harbour 15, Howzat 15, Matipo 8, Bowlarama 7, Ellis St 3, Cricket Wicket No. 2, 0.
Women (with games played in parenthesis):
North Harbour Black 24 (3), Howzat 18 (3), Petone 15 (2), North Harbour Pumas 13 (2), Takapuna 8 (3), Bowlarama 8 (3), Valley 8 (3), Action 2 (2), Sockburn 0 (3).
Masters:
North Harbour 24 (3), Petone 23 (3), Sockburn 22 (4), Action 20 (4), Bowlarama 17 (4), Valley 13 (3), North Canterbury 10 (4), Maidstone 8 (3), North City 4 (4), Howzat 3 (4).
Colts:
Wellington 16 (3), Petone 16 (3), Bowlarama 15 (3), North Canterbury 14 (2), Valley 12 (3), Maidstone 10 (3), Action 8 (3), Sockburn 5 (3).