Sharks surround all-at-sea England cricketers

England's touring team had their sporting prowess gnawed at again in New Zealand on Tuesday, but this time by two crafty sharks in Hawke Bay rather than 11 spirited Kiwis.

As the local kingfish bit so too did the sharks which accompanied the England team on a fishing expedition to the blue waters of Hawke Bay near Napier.

Team physio Dean Conway had half a fish bitten off his line as he attempted to reel it in, giving at least one of the sharks a satisfactory bite to eat.

Jokes were bandied about that the sharks were there to rip into the bloody carcass of England cricket after their 155-run thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in the second one-day international in Wellington on the weekend and that England were again "all at sea".

But all was not lost and Jim Souter of team sponsors Vodafone, who organised the trip said everyone on the trip landed a fish and cooked the haul up when they landed back at their waterfront hotel.

"We had the best feed of fish and chips we've ever had," he said.

Mail Cricket Editor