A former Christchurch Press newsprint store in Addington will be Canterbury Cricket's new indoor training centre. The province's elite winter training squads, clubs, schools, and district teams will hold their early season preparation at the venue in Lincoln Road after the demise of the Canterbury Sports Court. Canterbury Cricket is leasing the building which has not been used for some time. With additional lighting, nets, and mattings the centre will provide four training lanes and space for fitness work.

Thorn in charge

Former Canterbury cricketer Lindsay Thorn will coach the highly successful provincial women's team this season into a new era. Thorn succeeds Greg Hills, inheriting a team which has won 19 of its past 20 national tournaments. For the first time this season a national women's league will be played for on a home and away basis with the long-standing national tournament format scrapped. Thorn, 46, is a guidance counsellor at Christchurch Boys High School where he is also in charge of cricket.