For a change, team performance on the field mattered little. The tsunami disaster halted New Zealand's cricket season abruptly as the Sri Lankans returned home. FICA (Federation of International Cricketers Association) though chipped in to entertain the crowd in the Southern Hemisphere while raking in indispensable moolah in excess of one million dollars for the tsunami victims. The staging of the event had its fair share of debate selection wise. Jeff Wilson, more popular as a member of New Zealand's All Black rugby team, was recalled to the team after almost twelve years. New Zealand Test discard Craig Spearman was the surprise inclusion in the World XI after shifting base to England. Other stars who added colour to the event were South Africa's Lance Klusener, Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, Zimbabwe's Heath Streak and Australia's Greg Blewett.

The first of three one day internationals at the Jade Stadium, Christchurch saw New Zealand winning rather comfortably by nine wickets with nearly thirty-four overs to spare. Apart from Stephen Fleming's terrific innings against South Africa during the World Cup, this must rate as his not-likely-to-be-bettered knocks. A fifty-four ball century studded with no less than seven sixes off Muttiah Muralitharan beat World XI's 158 that really survived because of a seventy-nine run partnership between England's Grame Hick (forty-four) and South Africa's Jonty Rhodes (thirty-six) after Daryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills rocked the World XI boat at twenty for the loss of four wickets with two wickets apiece.

While New Zealand went one up at Christchurch, the World XI team led by Shane Warne levelled the series with a three wicket victory at Westpac Stadium in Wellington despite a fine century by Nathan Astle and a-run-a-ball thirty-three by Craig MacMillan. The win though proved too tight for comfort as World XI suffered a few hiccups after a sixty-five run stand between openers, England's Nick Knight and Australia's Matthew Elliott. Sangakkara contributed fifty-seven and Andy Bichel who earlier picked up three wickets chipped in with thirty run as World XI reached the target of 257 with thirteen balls to spare.

Westpac Park, Hamilton though finished on a high note for what a very successful venture in hosting the three match series. World XI crumbled for eighty-one under the duress of some astounding bowling from Chris Cairns who picked up six wickets for twelve runs in under six overs. World XI lost as many as nine wickets for a paltry nineteen runs to be bowled out in just under twenty-one overs.

Certainly out Nick Knight's forty-three in perspective. Jeff Wilson did himself no harm picking up three wickets for just nine runs in four overs.

New Zealand did win the third and final match and the series 2-1 but at one time, did appear to be in a spot of bother at sixty-five for six as Ian Harvey struck with a four wicket haul.

Seeing that the win did come in just over fifteen overs, the teams decided to play a Ten10 match to compensate the spectators which provided a bowling opportunity for each of the players apart from the wicket keeper. That scenario certainly livened up the batting as New Zealand openers Scott Styris scored thirty-eight and Kyle Mills, promoted up the order, struck forty-four runs. Craig MacMillan who scored a duck in the match early in the afternoon set a trailblazing sixty-three off just eighteen balls that comprised nine awesome sixes as New Zealand posed World XI a stiff target of 179 in ten overs. But World XI were upto the challenge or nearly. Bichel's forty-seven and Streak's thirty-two led the way as batting contributions through led to an eventful tie.