Cricket: Nairobi victory was so sweet

By RICHARD BOOCK

New Zealand cricket coach David Trist could be forgiven for thinking about where his next meal was coming from after yesterday's historic win.

While the 14-strong New Zealand squad emerged from the nail-biting final with a total prize stake of $850,000 - $60,700 each - Trist and the rest of his management team were looking forward to a slap-up meal at the expense of their triumphant players.

"The winnings are for the players only, but they promised to take us out for a feed," Trist chuckled from his Nairobi hotel. "Don't tell Michael Cullen or Helen Clark, but the guys aren't too upset with the plunging Kiwi dollar right now."

New Zealand's first tournament win in the 29-year history of one-day internationals happened to coincide with an initiative to boost tournament prize-money in order to reduce the temptation of match-rigging, with a total stake of $US1 million ($2.5 million) up for grabs in Kenya.

They already had $US90,000 ($225,000) under their belts after last week's shock semifinal win over Pakistan, and added another $US250,000 ($625,000) with yesterday's victory.

The windfall will be divided equally among squad members, which should prove good news for Glen Sulzberger and Chris Nevin, neither of whom played a game at the tournament.

However, the pickings will be considerably leaner for paceman Daryl Tuffey, who was in Kenya as cover for the injured Chris Cairns but not part of the official tournament squad, and therefore ineligible for a share of bootie.

"But the guys have very sensitive towards his plight - they've offered to buy him a burger and a couple of beers," Trist said..

"Right now, we're feeling like very proud Kiwis. The feeling in the dressing room is impossible to describe. The players realise how hard it's been to write this particular chapter of history, and there's a massive sense of accomplishment in everyone.

"They know they've achieved something out of the ordinary. They're quite humbled by the result, and respect the Indians enormously - that's why they're on top of the world right now."

Cairns said the victory was not about money.

"If you go in there aiming to win cash you lose a little bit - you have no soul," he said. "We had clips from home which said we would win all this cash. But this wasn't about money.

"We really had a lot of pride in this side and it was about winning the trophy. The money is a by-product of that success. The performance today was about the title. Sure, the cash is a by-product - that's great, too. I'm not denying that.

"But it's a slam raising that trophy - it's a wonderful experience, fantastic."