David Leggat: Once meaningful Chappell-Hadlee Trophy downgraded

The Chappell-Hadlee trophy. Photo / APN

It started out seven years ago with bells, whistles and accompanying positive noises about the vibrancy of the transtasman cricket relationship.

Now the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, which began with the aim of annual ODI competition between the neighbours, has turned into a "fit it in when we can" arrangement.

It won't be contested next summer, with both countries booked up through the season.

Australia have ODIs and three tests in Sri Lanka in August-September, then an ODI series and two tests in South Africa in October-November.

They host New Zealand for two tests in early December, in Brisbane and Hobart, before India arrive for four tests from Boxing Day until the end of January.

That is followed by the return of their tri-series, also involving Sri Lanka. That will run through February until March 8.

Meanwhile, New Zealand - who are in Zimbabwe from late October well into November - host the Zimbabweans early in the New Year, followed by South Africa for the marquee event of the home season, three tests, three ODIs and two T20s, running through March.

Dovetailing the country's plans to fit in a Chappell-Hadlee series was not possible. Indeed, Cricket Australia weren't even able to give New Zealand a warmup game to the test series.

They will arrive in Brisbane - Australia's traditional winning "banker" - ripe for a thumping. Australia's last defeat at the Gabba was by the West Indies in November, 1988, 23 tests ago. Sixteen of the following 22 tests have been won by the home side.

It's a shame the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy has been downgraded as the series had tended to draw the best out of New Zealand teams.

Since they won the opening game at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium by four wickets in December, 2004 - chasing down 246 thanks to Nathan Astle and Hamish Marshall, both now long gone - New Zealand have won nine and lost 11 of the 22 games.

The teams last contested the trophy at Nagpur in February during the World Cup, a seven-wicket tonking by the Aussies in the first, and hopefully last, Chappell-Hadlee clash on neutral territory.

There were signs that the series didn't rank particularly highly on CA's agenda a couple of years ago. There has always been the suspicion it meant more to the smaller nation than the green-and-gold lot.

They, after all, have rather weightier matters like the Ashes and financial heavyweights India to preoccupy their minds.

Giving Australia a bloody nose on the cricket pitch has always appealed to New Zealand cricketers; for their opponents, it has often seemed like just another day at an increasingly busy office.

The terminology changed last summer, when NZC's chief executive Justin Vaughan described the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy as a series to be arranged on a "best endeavours" basis. That is, it would be squeezed in where it could, a sea change from its inception when it was referred to as an annual event.

Four years ago, Vaughan said: "I'm very hopeful we wouldn't have a year when we didn't have Chappell-Hadlee games. The international calendar is very congested now, but we really want to continue on with the tradition."

Now it's "best endeavours". That's some downscaling.