Wellington, Dec 21 NZPA - Rain forced the abandonment of the State Shield one-day cricket match between Canterbury and Otago without a ball being bowled in Christchurch today.

NZPA WGT md

19 DECEMBER 2008 - The State Canterbury Wizards side has been selected for their first State Shield clash of the 2008/09 season at Christchurch's Village Green, QEII.

19 December 2009 - Blind Sailing New Zealand has announced the New Zealand Trust Blind Sailing teams to defend the world championship title at the IFDS World Blind Sailing Championships in Rotorua from 13 to 21 March 2009.

18 December 2008 - WELLINGTON Phoenix have stepped on to the Hyundai A-League top-four tightrope and a delicate balancing act has begun.

18 DECEMBER 2008 - The men's semi-final was an epic battle between fifth seed Mark Nielsen (Nthn) and second seed Dan King-Turner at Pascoes the Jewellers NZ Residentials in association with Configure Express at Albany Tennis Park.

17 December 2008 - The Tasman Rugby Union has managed to satisfy the NZRU enough to ensure that Tasman Makos will compete in the 2009 Air NZ Cup.

17 December 2008 - The New Zealand Rugby Union has confirmed that the Tasman Rugby Union will participate in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup.

17 December 2008 - North Harbour Stadium will be the first Auckland sporting venue to see World Cup-winning Kiwi stars in action when the Vodafone Warriors take on the North Queensland Cowboys in a day-time NRL trial there on Sunday, February 22 next year.

Brendon Hartley looks like your average teenager with his floppy blonde hair.

16 December 2008 - Peter Fulton and Chris Martin are to join the BLACKCAPS in Napier as cover for injured players James Franklin and Ross Taylor.