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• 9 October 2004: Chris Cairns married partner Carin van den Berg in a ceremony in Blenheim, New Zealand.

• 14 June 2004: Chris Cairns has retired from Test cricket. Cairns took 9 wickets in his last Test, but that was not enough to stop New Zealand from sliding to a 3-0 series loss to England. Cairns, who turned 34 during the Test, will continue to play one-day cricket for New Zealand, and hopes to stay on for the 2007 World Cup.

• 22 May 2004: Chris Cairns has passed Viv Richards' record number of sixes (84) in Test cricket during the First Test in England. Cairns hit 82 off 47 balls in New Zealand's first innings.

• April 2004: Cairns has announced that the Third Test in England will be his last, however he will continue to play one-day cricket for New Zealand. Cairns is feeling fulfilled in his Test career, having joined the exclusive cohort of Test cricketers who have taken 200 wickets during the Second Test against South Africa in Auckland, and he is looking forward to spending more time with his family once he retires from Test cricket.

• 3 April 2004: Cairns is currently deciding whether he will retire from Test cricket or continue, at least for the Black Caps tour of England. There has been much speculation that he will retire from Test cricket in order to extend his career in the one-day form of the game.

• 22 March 2004: Chris Cairns has joined the exclusive cohort of Test cricketers who have taken 200 wickets and scored 3000 runs. Cairns reached both milestones during New Zealand's nine-wicket win in the Second Test against South Africa in Auckland. Congratulations, Chris!

• 20 March 2004: Cairns scored a superb 158 in the Second Test at Auckland, helping New Zealand to a sizable first-innings lead against South Africa, and lifting his Test runs tally past the 3000-mark. Meanwhile, Cairns needs just one more victim to reach 200 Test wickets.

• 13 March 2004: Cairns has taken his 198th Test wicket - South African batsman Rudolph - in Hamilton, two years to the day since claiming his last. He hopes to reach the 200-mark during the Test series against South Africa.

• Cairns was a moderate but steady contributor to New Zealand's one-day series wins against Pakistan and South Africa during the New Zealand home season. Aside from a minor ankle injury, he has also enjoyed good fitness, and both his batting and bowling have been improving.

• Cairns played Test cricket for the first time in two years when the Black Caps met Pakistan in the First Test at Hamilton.

• Cairns' two-year contract with English county Nottinghamshire has come to an end, though it is rumoured that he may attempt return to Notts in 2004 as an EU passport player.

• Cairns captained the Black Caps one-day squad in Pakistan as Stephen Fleming was suffering from an abdominal strain. Unfortunately, the very inexperienced New Zealand team was defeated 0-5, although Cairns pesonally produced a fine innings of 84 not out in the first match.

• Cairns, back from his hamstring problems, captained the Black Caps during their last tri-series match in India due to Stephen Fleming's side strain. Unfortunately New Zealand was soundly beaten and knocked out of the tournament, but Cairns now has the opportunity to lead the Black Caps in the one-day series in Pakistan while Fleming stays home to rest his injury.

• Cairns returned to the Black Caps to play Australia at Pune. He scored a quick 27 and took 1/48 off 10 overs (he also had a catch dropped off his bowling). However Cairns continues to be trouble by hamstring problems and is in doubt for New Zealand's next match.

• Cairns missed New Zealand's first match against Australia as he had not quite fully recovered from his hamstring strain, but he has been training with the team and is expected to play when New Zealand meet Australia again on Monday.

• Chris Cairns made an excellent start to his latest comeback in the rained-out opening match of the TVS tri-series, against India in Chennai. Cairns bowled three good overs for one wicket, and was obviously ecstatic when Sehwag chopped a good ball back onto his stumps. Cairns' celebrations were short lived, however, before a hamstring problem prevented him from bowling further. The injury, the latest in a seeminky-interminable series of set-backs to Cairns' international comeback, is particularly frustrating as he had rated himself 100% fit going in to the game. The hamstring problem is yet to be fully assessed, but hopefully it is only minor and Cairns will be fit for New Zealand's next match, against Australia on Wednesday. For the time being, however, he is in doubt for that game.

• Cairns is in India with the Black Caps for the one-day tri-series, also involving Australia, that commences on October 23. Cairns has been training with the squad and expects to contribute in all-round capacity. He missed the Test series to attend the birth of his son. [More]

• Cairns has replaced Gary Stead as captain of his provincial side, Canterbury, for the coming season, however Cairns is expected to miss much of the domestic competition due to his Black Caps committments. [More]

• Chris Cairns and Carin van den Berg are parents again. Their second son, named Bram, was born in Johannesburg on September 18.

• Cairns ended his season with Nottinghamshire on a high note, scoring 76 off 74 and taking 2/14 to lead the county to a seven-wicket win against Scotland. [More]

• Chris Cairns has been selected in the Black Caps one-day squad to tour India. He was unavailable for the prior Test series, starting in September, due to the pending birth of his and Carin's second baby.

• Cairns has resumed a proper bowling workload for his county, Nottinghamshire, as he continues to improve in form and fitness. Cairns has bowled at first change in the last few County Championship games, and has taken a few wickets. Fitness advisor Warren frost and new Black Caps coach John Bracewell agree that this is positive news, and hope that Cairns will have a role to play in the Black Caps' upcoming tour of India.

• Cairns will decide over the next two months if he will accept the contract offered by New Zealand Cricket, depending on whether he is able to make a successful comeback in all-round capacity. [More]

• Chris Cairns and his dad Lance have re-launched their fudge bars as "Cairns Fudge". [More]

• Cairns resumed bowling a few overs and took his 600th first class wicket, for Nottinghamshire against Kent.

• Cairns made 5 and 41 not out for Nottinghamshire in his first County Championship match of the season, against Somerset.

• Cairns has returned to the Nottinghamshire side in time for the county's Championship match against Somerset, three weeks earlier than expected after breaking a bone in his left hand. Cairns had confirmed his match fitness with 162 against a colliery team.

• Happy birthday to Cairnsey, who turned 33 on 13 June 2003.

• Cairns scored his first century of the season against Warwickshire but broke his left hand shortly afterwards while attempting a catch. He will miss six weeks, including the Outlaws' one-day qualifying games, which he was to have captained. [More]

• Cairns manager, Leanne McGoldrick, has confirmed that it is "business as usual" for Chris Cairns, who has accepted another year-long contract with New Zealand Cricket. She emphasised that Cairns is still comitted to playing for his country and that reports from Sri Lanka that said Cairns was considering retirement were sensationalised. In fact Cairns is working closely with New Zealand Cricket fitness advisor Warren Frost and hopes to be bowling again soon, though he is understandably frustrated that a series of more minor injuries have hampered his return from knee surgery. In the event that Cairns cannot make a satisfactory comeback as a bowler, he is still keen to contribute as a specialist batsman and has shown his ability in that regard with a number of half-centuries so far during the English season.

• Chris Cairns has been offered another year-long contract with New Zealand cricket, which he is yet to accept or decline. Player rankings are kept secret, but it is thought Cairns will have taken a pay cut due to his ongoing fitness troubles.

• Since yet another injury - a side strain - prevented him from bowling during the tri-series in Sri Lanka, it was reported that Cairns is considering retiring as soon as the end of the English county season. He made only minor contributions as a specialist batsman for the Black Caps during the tournament, which New Zealand won. [More]

• Cairns has is on contract this season with English county Nottinghamsire, where he is captaining the one-day team. Cairns scored a quick-fire 90 not out (off 60 balls) in his a pre-season match against Northamptonshire to commence his season.

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