KEY POINTS:
New Zealand is an immediate winner out of Cricket Australia's decision to chop its annual tri-series for the next two seasons.
In 2008-09, when New Zealand and South Africa are on test duty in Australia, each will also play Australia in separate five-game ODI series, but not as
part of the traditional three-way format.
Neutral clashes between the visitors, which have struggled to get backsides on seats and are receding in appeal for the locals, are out.
But any disappointment at that for New Zealand is more than tempered by the chance to square off against the Aussies five times, along with getting three tests into the bargain.
Two tests had been anticipated but New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said last night the third test was a direct request from Australia.
The schedule won't be announced until about March, but it will be part of what should be a bumper summer for New Zealand.
The West Indies are coming for three tests and probably three ODIs; India are confirmed for three tests and five ODIs; there are a handful of international Twenty20 games and now the Australian programme rounds off an appealing season.
The West Indies and Pakistan will repeat the South Africa-New Zealand scenario in the 2009-10 season, at which point Cricket Australia will reassess the new format before settling on a schedule for England's big money-spinning Ashes tour in 2010-11.
"It's a better fit for us to have teams come in for a short, sharp visit," CA chief executive James Sutherland said yesterday, confirming this season's Australia-Sri Lanka-India contest in February could be the last tri-series.
"Whether the test matches or one-day series are together or they're split or they're in a block, that's something we can vary from series to series and from year to year."
New Zealand's first involvement was in 1980-81 and that series, under the Benson and Hedges banner - the first of five over 28 summers - was among the most infamous of them all.
New Zealand won their first game, beating Australia in Adelaide by three wickets, reached the best-of-five finals which featured Martin Snedden's celebrated "catch" off Greg Chappell and Trevor Chappell's under arm delivery.
New Zealand played 89 tri-series games, winning 33, losing 54, most recently at Melbourne last February. New Zealand made the finals five times - losing four to Australia and once to South Africa, in 2001-02.
* Cyclone-hit Bangladesh will be the beneficiary of two Twenty20 cricket matches in Hamilton this month.
An invitational Masters XI, including past test players, will play the New Zealand under 19 team as a curtain raiser to a New Zealand XI, captained by Stephen Fleming, playing Bangladesh on December 23 at Seddon Park.
Cyclone Sidr killed more than 3500 people and destroyed over 1 million homes on November 15. All profits from the day will go to World Vision's Bangladesh relief efforts.
The games replace a one-dayer between Bangladesh and Northern Districts.
* Kyle Mills has leaped up the world ODI rankings. His nine wickets at 11.33 in the three-game series against South Africa, which finished on Monday, has bumped him from 23rd to 11th in the bowlers' rankings.
Compatriot Shane Bond is unchanged at No 2 - one spot behind South African Shaun Pollock - and captain Daniel Vettori is up one place to No 5.
No New Zealand batsmen are in the top 20 of a list headed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting. The best is Scott Styris at No 23.