Taranaki cricket players suspended after rampage
Thursday 1 March 2007, 8:46AM
By Sam Farrow
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Five Taranaki representative cricketers involved in a drunken vandalism rampage through Napier streets have been suspended from the team.
Kolynn Tai has been given the longest suspension of 42 days, while Chris Cruikshank, who is also contracted to Central Districts, is out for 30 days, the Taranaki Daily News reported.
Andrew Mason, David Good and Keith Muller have been banned from all cricket for 14 days.
The team was celebrating its win over Hawke's Bay, which allows Taranaki to challenge for the Hawke Cup.
Police alleged team members kicked over rubbish bins, damaged street signs, traffic lights and letterboxes, and ripped branches off trees -- throwing one through a car's windscreen.
The five players appeared before a Taranaki Cricket Association judicial panel in New Plymouth on Tuesday night.
All five will now miss Taranaki's Hawke Cup challenge against Hamilton from March 10-12.
Mason, Good and Muller were arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour. They have signed letters of guilt and are excused from appearing in Napier District Court today because the charge was a fines-only matter.
Police said there would be no further arrests.
Taranaki coach Alistar Jordan told the Daily News he could understand Cruikshank and Tai's suspensions but was disappointed that the other three, who played lesser roles, were also out.
"I'm not sure what we are going to do, because it's not easy to replace five players."
He had worked hard to rid the squad of a "booze culture" during his five years as coach and was "bloody disappointed" with what had happened.
Kolynn Tai has been given the longest suspension of 42 days, while Chris Cruikshank, who is also contracted to Central Districts, is out for 30 days, the Taranaki Daily News reported.
Andrew Mason, David Good and Keith Muller have been banned from all cricket for 14 days.
The team was celebrating its win over Hawke's Bay, which allows Taranaki to challenge for the Hawke Cup.
Police alleged team members kicked over rubbish bins, damaged street signs, traffic lights and letterboxes, and ripped branches off trees -- throwing one through a car's windscreen.
The five players appeared before a Taranaki Cricket Association judicial panel in New Plymouth on Tuesday night.
All five will now miss Taranaki's Hawke Cup challenge against Hamilton from March 10-12.
Mason, Good and Muller were arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour. They have signed letters of guilt and are excused from appearing in Napier District Court today because the charge was a fines-only matter.
Police said there would be no further arrests.
Taranaki coach Alistar Jordan told the Daily News he could understand Cruikshank and Tai's suspensions but was disappointed that the other three, who played lesser roles, were also out.
"I'm not sure what we are going to do, because it's not easy to replace five players."
He had worked hard to rid the squad of a "booze culture" during his five years as coach and was "bloody disappointed" with what had happened.