As sponsorship arrangements go, the connection between Shell and cricket has been one of the more enduring relationships in New Zealand sport.

But the connection that first began, in a small way with the sponsorship of the New Zealand Cricket Almanack in 1965, and was extended significantly in 1975/76 with the support for the Shell Series, is over.

At the time the sponsorship for New Zealand's domestic competition was in its infancy, limited overs cricket was a new phenomenon, and two rounds of first-class games were unheard of.

The introduction of the new competition format was timely.

New Zealand was in the middle of the advance from second-rate cricket nation to genuine international force. It was only a few years away from starting the run that saw it go unbeaten in Test series at home in the 1980s.

Glenn Turner had become a significant force on the county scene in England and players like Geoff Howarth, John Wright and Richard Hadlee were soon plying their trade in that environment.

Earlier, in the late 1960s and early 1970s the New Zealand team had regularly taken part in the Australian domestic one-day competition, several times winning the knockout competition.

One-day cricket was still a novelty, and certainly nothing compared with the force it has become on the world scene now. New Zealand had made the semi-finals of the first World Cup in 1975, being beaten by the eventual winners, the West Indies.

Since 1974 the country was also receiving an international team every year.

The time was ripe for the greatest increase in New Zealand's domestic programme in its history.

The adoption of the Shell Series in 1975/76, which involved the abolition of the Plunket Shield - the prize for the first-class cricket champions since it was first awarded in 1921/22, involved a full round of games between teams for the Shell Cup, then a second round of knockout games which ended with a final.

This programme continued until the 1979/80 season when the Shell Cup became the sole preserve of the one-day competition.

In the meantime the Packer Revolution occurred in Australia and changed forever the shape of the domestic game around the world.

Intense television coverage made the limited overs game much more appealing and one-day games became part of the staple diet of teams all around the world.

For New Zealanders though, the increase in domestic cricket opportunities improved standards immeasurably.

This carried through to the international scene where New Zealand enjoyed the greatest period of its history until that time. Much of that was bolstered by the increasing exposure of New Zealand players to English conditions during the winter. Martin Crowe joined the more established players on the county scene while countless others have played league cricket.

It has all decreased the education time required for New Zealand players to be best equipped for international play.

While alterations have occurred in the domestic programme, depending on whatever the motivation is for the time, it cannot be argued that the Shell involvement has gone hand in hand with the greatest advancement of the New Zealand game.

The second great era of the game is underway with a group of players who have now become regular internationals on the basis of their upbringing in the Shell environment.

The record books are now full of players who have made significant marks during this time and the best of these are listed in the statistical details listed below.

There were many highlights to savour:

• Martin Crowe's golden summer for Central Districts in 1986/87 when he scored 1348 runs at an average of 103.69 has never been matched. He hit six centuries in the season for CD and did the ground work for an amazing year in 1987 during which he hit more than 4000 runs.

• Canterbury's outstanding consistency in the 1990s when the side won three Shell Trophies and seven Shell Cups. They started out with older hands like Paul McEwan and Rod Latham providing the leadership and performance as newcomers like Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan complemented the arrival of Chris Cairns in the region and set up the latest dynasty in New Zealand's first-class game.

• Chris Harris' outstanding summer of 1996/97 when he did everything possible to decry the accepted view of the time that he couldn't be considered as a batsman. He scored two double centuries, including a 251 not out, the highest score for Canterbury, a 206, a 198 and a 93 to end the Trophy season with an average of 139.16.

• The phenomenal post-Test retirement run scoring of Wellington's Bruce Edgar in the late 1980s. Claiming he was more relaxed in his batting, Edgar "loosened up" to the point where in successive seasons he scored: 676 (1987/88), 762 (1988/89) and 720 (1989/90) while in the 1988/89 season he shared in two 300-run opening partnerships. The highest was 333 with Andrew Jones against Auckland, and the second 310 with Robert Vance against Northern Districts, also at Wellington.

• The two golden Northern Districts summers of 1987/88 and 1988/89 when Graeme Hick paid an outstanding dividend for the association. He may have played only two seasons but in 17 matches he scored 2055 runs at 79.03, including 10 centuries, the most by an ND player, and his 211 not out against Auckland in 1988/89 was one of the great innings of Shell Trophy history.

• Then there was the amazing Canterbury-Wellington game of 1994/95 when 1945 runs were scored for the loss of only 18 wickets as Wellington won the game by six wickets. The aggregate was a world record for a four-day match, and it was the fourth highest in world first-class cricket history. The seven centuries scored equalled a record set in 1923/24. Wellington's successful chase for 475 to win the game was a New Zealand record.

• The same two teams also played what still ranks as the greatest domestic one-day game in the final of the 1991/92 Shell Cup.

• The extended season when introduced proved a boon for New Zealand's slow bowlers. Otago off spinner Peter Petherick was the first to show out in the first summer in 1975/76 with 42 wickets at 20.16. In the third summer of the new format in 1977/78 the slow bowlers were showing the benefits of their longer exposure at the bowling crease. Stephen Boock (then playing for Canterbury) 56 wickets at 15.66, David O'Sullivan (Central Districts) 44 at 20.22, Peter Petherick (Otago) 45 at 17.15. In 1978/79 Boock took 54 at 18.51 and in 1979/80 Cliff Dickeson 39 at 19.35.

Shell Series Statistics, 1975/76-2000/01

Most runs

6202   Robert Vance      (W)        1976/77-1990/91
6197   Bruce Edgar       (W)        1975/76-1989/90
5870   Rod Latham        (C)        1980/81-1994/95
5854   Paul McEwan       (C)        1977/78-1990/91
5559   John Wright       (ND/C/A)   1975/76-1992/93
5377   Martin Crowe      (A/CD/W)   1980/81-1994/95
5235   Bruce Blair       (O/ND)     1977/78-1989/90
5161   Mark Greatbatch   (A/CD)     1982/83-1997/98
4789   Ken Rutherford    (O)        1982/83-1993/94

482    Stephen Boock      (C/O)     1975/76-1989/90
345    Evan Gray          (W)       1975/76-1990/91
333    David O'Sullivan   (CD)      1975/76-1984/85
325    Ewen Chatfield     (W)       1975/76-1989/90
287    Mark Priest        (C)       1987/88-1998/99
262    Neil Mallender     (O)       1983/84-1992/93
249    John Bracewell     (O/A)     1978/79-1989/90
240    Cliff Dickeson     (ND)      1975/76-1985/86
234    Richard Hadlee     (C)       1975/76-1989/90
223    Gary Robertson     (CD)      1979/80-1989/90

254*   Robert Vance      W v ND   Wellington     1988/89
251*   Chris Harris      C v CD   Rangiora       1996/97
242    Martin Crowe      CD v O   New Plymouth   1989/90
241    Matt Horne        O v A    Auckland       1997/98
237*   Rod Latham        C v ND   Rotorua        1990/91
222    Ian Rutherford    O v CD   New Plymouth   1978/79
219    Matthew Bell      W v ND   Hamilton       1998/99
216    Matthew Bell      W v A    Auckland       1997/98
212*   David Kelly       CD v C   Blenheim       2000/01
211*   Graeme Hick       ND v A   Auckland       1988/89

9-48   Alex Tait         ND v A   Hamilton       1996/97
9-93   Peter Petherick   O v ND   Dunedin        1975/76
9-95   Mark Priest       C v O    Dunedin        1989/90
8-24   Ewen Chatfield    W v ND   Lower Hutt     1979/80
8-27   Justin Vaughan    A v O    Alexandra      1996/97
8-31   David Sewell      O v CD   Invercargill   1996/97
8-37   Evan Gray         W v C    Lower Hutt     1985/86
8-46   Lance Cairns      O v W    Invercargill   1978/79
8-57   Stephen Boock     O v A    Dunedin        1989/90
8-59   Stephen Boock     O v W    Invercargill   1978/79

1st    333   Bruce Edgar & Andrew Jones       W v A    Wellington
2nd    317   Ron Hart & Scott Briasco         CD v C   New Plymouth
3rd    394*  Peter Kennedy & Rod Latham       C v ND   Rotorua
4th    280   Jeff Crowe & Dipak Patel         A v ND   Auckland
5th    341   Gavin Larsen & Ervin McSweeney   W v CD   Levin
6th    226   Evan Gray & Ross Ormiston        W v CD   Wellington
7th    241   Nathan Astle & Mark Priest       C v W    Christchurch
8th    180   Roger Twose & Matthew Goodson    W v O    Dunedin
9th    188   Neal Parlane & Daryl Tuffey      ND v W   Wellington
10th   160   Lee Germon & Warren Wisneski     C v ND   Rangiora

          100s    HS
1975/76    16    177*  Glenn Turner       O v W
1976/77    15    177*  Glenn Turner       ND v CD
1977/78    14    133   Ian Rutherford     CD v C
1978/79    13    222   Ian Rutherford     O v CD
1979/80    13    152*  Bruce Edgar        W v CD
1980/81    21    193*  David Stead        C v CD
1981/82    11    150   Martin Crowe       A v CD
1982/83    21    179   Ross Ormiston      W v CD
1983/84    21    167*  Ron Hart           CD v C
1984/85    18    181   Trevor Franklin    A v ND
1985/86    25    209*  David White        ND v CD
1986/87    33    192   John Wright        C v CD
1987/88    32    205*  Ervin McSweeney    W v CD
1988/89    37    254*  Robert Vance       W v ND
1989/90    29    242   Martin Crowe       CD v O
1990/91    33    237*  Rod Latham         C v ND
1991/92    39    204   Dipak Patel        A v ND
1992/93    18    167   Shane Thomson      ND v CD
1993/94    13    202   Michael Austen     W v CD
1994/95    28    193*  Martin Crowe       W v C
1995/96    23    202   Mark Greatbatch    CD v ND
1996/97    24    251*  Chris Harris       C v CD
1997/98    15    241   Matt Horne         O v A
1998/99    19    219   Matthew Bell       W v ND
1999/00    18    167   Blair Pocock       A v W
2000/01    39    212*  David Kelly        CD v C

          5wi    BB
1975/76    25   9-93   Peter Petherick    O v ND
1976/77    16   7-62   Dennis Kay         CD v C
1977/78    24   7-46   Peter Petherick    O v C
1978/79    29   8-46   Lance Cairns       O v W
1979/80    22   8-24   Ewen Chatfield     W v ND
1980/81    22   7-79   Cliff Dickeson     ND v CD
1981/82    22   7-9    John Bracewell     O v C
1982/83    19   7-28   Vaughan Brown      C v W
1983/84    18   7-40   Peter Visser       CD v A
1984/85    24   7-17   Steve Maguiness    W v C
1985/86    18   8-37   Evan Gray          W v C
1986/87    32   8-83   Ewen Chatfield     W v O
1987/88    18   7-52   Michael Holding    C v O
1988/89    17   7-97   Grant Cederwall    W v ND
1989/90    26   9-95   Mark Priest        C v O
1990/91    29   7-39   Chris Cairns       C v CD
1991/92    27   7-34   Chris Cairns       C v CD
1992/93    17   7-50   Richard de Groen   ND v O
1993/94    24   7-56   Chris Pringle      A v O
1994/95    19   7-34   Justin Vaughan     A v CD
1995/96    14   7-50   Paul Wiseman       O v W
1996/97    37   9-48   Alex Tait          ND v A
1997/98    16   8-107  Brooke Walker      A v C
1998/99    15   6-49   Chris Drum         A v C
1999/00    20   7-33   Bruce Martin       ND v A
2000/01    28   7-12   Daryl Tuffey       ND v W

          100s  Best
1975/76    17    165   Glenn Turner & Warren Lees         O v W
1976/77    20    173   Ian Rutherford & Warren Lees       O v A
1977/78    12    178   John Parker & John Wright          ND v CD
1978/79    24    179   Barry Hadlee & Murray Parker       C v A
1979/80    15    176   Robert Vance & Richard Reid        W v CD
1980/81    15    237   Grant Gibson & Chris Kuggeleijn    ND v C
1981/82    27    226   Evan Gray & Ross Ormiston          W v CD
1982/83    19    220   Matthew Toynbee & Ian Smith        CD v A
1983/84    24    317   Ron Hart & Scott Briasco           CD v C
1984/85    22    211*  Kevin Burns & Andrew Jones         O v W
1985/86    40    278   Trevor Franklin & Dipak Patel      A v C
1986/87    38    276*  Martin Crowe & Scott Briasco       CD v C
1987/88    31    341   Gavin Larsen & Ervin McSweeney     W v CD
1988/89    47    333   Bruce Edgar & Andrew Jones         W v A
1989/90    43    199   Martin Crowe & Mark Douglas        CD v ND
1990/91    44    394*  Peter Kennedy & Rod Latham         C v ND
1991/92    40    346   Graham Burnett & Ross Verry        W v ND
1992/93    23    211   David White & Bryan Young          ND v A
1993/94    23    316   Michael Austen & Ron Hart          W v CD
1994/95    31    287   Blair Hartland & Gary Stead        C v W
1995/96    30    305   Robbie Lawson & Martyn Croy        O v CD
1996/97    35    290   Chris Harris & Gary Stead          C v CD
1997/98    27    287   Matthew Bell & Jason Wells         W v A
1998/99    18    244   Craig Spearman & Mathew Sinclair   CD v ND
1999/00    26    188   Neal Parlane & Daryl Tuffey        ND v W
2000/01    56    274   Richard Jones & Stephen Mather     W v O

1975/76   Canterbury (Shell Cup for first round: Canterbury)
1976/77   Otago (Northern Districts)
1977/78   Auckland (Canterbury)
1978/79   Otago (Otago)
1979/80   Northern Districts
1980/81   Auckland
1981/82   Wellington
1982/83   Wellington
1983/84   Canterbury
1984/85   Wellington
1985/86   Otago
1986/87   Central Districts
1987/88   Otago
1988/89   Auckland
1989/90   Wellington
1990/91   Auckland
1991/92   Central Districts and Northern Districts
1992/93   Northern Districts
1993/94   Canterbury
1994/95   Auckland
1995/96   Auckland
1996/97   Canterbury
1997/98   Canterbury
1998/99   Central Districts
1999/00   Northern Districts
2000/01   Wellington

1980/81   Auckland
1981/82   Wellington
1982/83   Auckland
1983/84   Auckland
1984/85   Central Districts
1985/86   Canterbury
1986/87   Auckland
1987/88   Otago
1988/89   Wellington
1989/90   Auckland
1990/91   Wellington
1991/92   Canterbury
1992/93   Canterbury
1993/94   Canterbury
1994/95   Northern Districts
1995/96   Canterbury
1996/97   Canterbury
1997/98   Northern Districts
1998/99   Canterbury
1999/00   Canterbury
2000/01   Central Districts