Hits & Misses: Cricket 2, rugby union 0 and a missing golfer

A spectacular bowling analysis, more foot-in-mouth for rugby bosses and the retirement of one of New Zealand's most celebrated bike riders, all part of the sporting week ...

HITS

* Central Districts pair Jacob Oram and Michael Mason, who got the call into the New Zealand cricket 12 for the first test against India. Allrounder Oram bagged a couple of wickets in his first three hours as a test player. Fast-medium Mason carried the drinks, but knows he is in the selectors' minds.

* New Zealand's sevens rugby team, who picked up where they left off last season - when they won the world circuit and the Commonwealth Games - by whacking Samoa 36-0 in the final of the Dubai event. Played one, titles one.

* Jermaine Lawson, hitherto unknown West Indies fast-bowler who capitalised on Bangladesh's penchant for failing miserably at test cricket. Lawson, 20 and in only his third test, took six wickets without conceding a run in 15 balls to wreck Bangladesh's second innings for 87 at Dhaka, and ensure an innings and 310-run win. Bangladesh's last seven wickets fell for seven runs. Lawson's figures: 6.5-4-3-6.

MISSES

* The grand old man of New Zealand road cycling, Graeme Miller, who called it a day at 42, his decision made because of persistent back ailments. Even so, five Commonwealth Games, four Olympics, two gold and two silver Commonwealth medals make up a hugely impressive CV.

* The New Zealand Rugby Union, which can't help putting its foot in it even in the summer break. This time, over the small matter of forgetting to get approval from the unions to dump the reasonably significant words "New Zealand" from the black jersey. The decision was taken in March. It took eight months and a newspaper report for that small gem to come out.

* OneWorld, who were pinged a point in every round for the rest of the America's Cup regatta. The arbitration panel accepted rival syndicates' allegations that OneWorld broke rules of the regatta by using other teams' design secrets.

* England's cricketers, who lurch along like drunken sailors, and going into last night's ODI against Australia still winless after a couple of months trekking round that country. This week, the might of the Prime Minister's XI cleaned them up by four wickets in Canberra.

* Michael Jordan, basketball's greatest player, who announced - again - that he will retire from the NBA after this season with the Washington Wizards. We've heard that twice before. We can only hope this time he means it.

* Top golfer Greg Turner, who will be missing from the New Zealand Open at Middlemore next month. He'll be fishing. Turner fell out with Open organisers this year over the way his fellow professionals were treated compared with a certain T. Woods, who received a multi-million-dollar whack for playing at Paraparaumu in January.