DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. FIRES ON GREAT BARRIER ISLAND AND IN NORTHLAND KEEP FIREFIGHTERS BUSY. FRESH FEARS IN THE US AFTER ANOTHER CAMPUS SHOOTING, THIS TIME IN TEXAS. AND AFTER ALL THE TROUBLES, THE NZ CRICKET TEAM WIN THEIR FIRST EVER SERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. MORE FIREFIGHTERS FROM AUCKLAND HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN TO HELP FIGHT THE BIG SCRUB FIRE ON GREAT BARRIER ISLAND IN THE HAURAKI GULF. MORE THAN 20 HOMES HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION IN CASE THE FLAMES TURN THEIR WAY. THE BIG SCRUB BLAZE ON GREAT BARRIER ISLAND IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL FIRES BURNING AROUND THE NORTH ISLAND. AS WELL AS THE FIRE NEAR CLARIS ON GREAT BARRIER, FIRE CREWS HAVE ALSO BEEN BATTLING A MASSIVE BLAZE IN KELLY'S BAY ON THE POUTO PENINSULA ON THE KAIPARA HARBOUR IN NORTHLAND. AUTHORITIES SAY THE FIRE SITUATION IS NOT OUT OF CONTROL, BUT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT MORE SCRUB FIRES AS THE HOT DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE. KRISTIN HALL HAS MORE DETAILS. A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE BLAZE THAT 40 FIREFIGHTERS BATTLED OVERNIGHT. NOW DOZENS MORE HAVE BEEN ORDERED IN. THE KEY THING IS TO QUANTIFY EXACTLY WHERE IT WENT OVERNIGHT, AND WE HAVE GOT THREE HELICOPTERS READY FOR A HEAD FIRE ATTACK ON IT. A FURTHER 40 FIREFIGHTERS FROM AUCKLAND HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN ` WELCOME RELIEF FOR EXHAUSTED CREWS. ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS TESTING WITH CAMPAIGN-TYPE FIRE. IT'S ALL RIGHT FOR AN AFTERNOON, BUT WHEN IT GETS INTO DAYS, THAT'S WHEN THINGS START TESTING THE SYSTEM. STRONG WINDS FANNING THE FLAMES ARE EXPECTED TO EASE BY THIS EVENING, BUT FIRE CREWS STILL HAVE DROUGHT-DRY CONDITIONS TO CONTEND WITH. WE HAVEN'T HAD RAIN HERE FOR SOME TIME AND WE ARE IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS, SO THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL FOR THE FIRE TO KEEP GOING ON. DOZENS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. THE COMMUNITY OF FEWER THAN A 1000 ARE NOW RALLYING TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND THOSE FIGHTING THE FLAMES. FACEBOOK SITES AROUND HERE HAVE BEEN BUSY, AND A LOT OF THE LOCAL WOMEN ARE BAKING TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR VOLUNTEERS. RESIDENTS ARE HOPING MONSOON BUCKETS WILL BE ENOUGH TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. NO ONE'S BEEN INJURED, BUT THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE TAKING EXTREME CARE. CERTAINLY THIS IS BIGGEST FIRE THAT I'VE SEEN OVER HERE IN PAST 12 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE. AT THE PRESENT TIME, IT'S NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE, AND CERTAINLY TO SEND FIRE CREWS IN THERE COULD BE A RISKY BUSINESS. IN NORTHLAND, 80 FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRYING TO CONTROL A GROWING BLAZE ON THE POUTO PENINSULA ON THE KAIPARA HARBOUR. IT'S NOW WIPED OUT MORE THAN 180HA OF CONSERVATION LAND, INCLUDING WETLAND AND ENDANGERED WILDLIFE. THE BLAZES COME JUST DAYS AFTER A THREATENING BUSH FIRE SAW 12 PEOPLE EVACUATED FROM TAUPO'S SPA THERMAL PARK, WHERE HOTSPOTS ARE STILL BEING DAMPENED DOWN. AUTHORITIES SAY UNUSUALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE CAUSING CONCERN. IT'S MANAGEABLE AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE OVER THE NEXT WEEK. A SOUND WARNING WITH TWO MONTHS OF THE FIRE SEASON STILL TO GO. KRISTIN HALL, ONE NEWS. AND WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE ON THOSE FIRES AND THE LATEST PICTURES ON ONE NEWS AT 6, PLUS ON OUR WEBSITE AT ONENEWS.CO.NZ. PITA SHARPLES HAS CONFIRMED HE IS BEING CHALLENGED FOR THE CO-LEADERSHIP OF THE MAORI PARTY BY TE URUROA FLAVELL. LAST WEEK A DEFIANT SHARPLES TOLD ONE NEWS HE WILL RUN AGAIN IN 2014 AND EXPECTED TO RETAIN THE LEADERSHIP, DESPITE CALLS FROM FELLOW CO-LEADER TURIA TO STAND DOWN. BUT SPEAKING AT RATANA TODAY, SHARPLES SAYS ITS UP TO THE PARTY TO DECIDE IF MR FLAVELL OR HE SHOULD BE LEADER, AND HE WILL STAND DOWN IF ASKED TO. MAORI PARTY PRESIDENT PEM BIRD SAYS THE PARTY WILL MEET THIS AFTERNOON TO DISCUSS THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE. SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' DEMANDS FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE EDUCATION PAYROLL SYSTEM NOVOPAY HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE AUDITOR GENERAL. THE PRINCIPALS FEDERATION IS CONCERNED AN INTERNAL REVIEW BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SCHEDULED FOR APRIL WON'T GO FAR ENOUGH AND IS TOO LATE. OUR REVIEW IS REALLY AROUND 'IS THIS HORSE WORTH BRINGING BACK TO LIFE, 'OR IS IT DEAD AND SEND IT TO THE KNACKERS?' BECAUSE WE-WE LACK CONFIDENCE THAT NOVOPAY CAN COME GOOD. AND I THINK EVERY TAXPAYER IN THE COUNTRY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW CAN THIS BE FIXED? SHOULD IT BE FIXED? THE NEW MINISTER IN CHARGE OF FIXING THE EDUCATION PAYROLL, STEPHEN JOYCE, SAYS IT WON'T BE EASY. WE'RE IN FOR THIS FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THE CHALLENGE IS CAN I, AS SOMEBODY NEW COMING IN, A FRESH SET OF EYES, SPEED UP THE RESOLUTION OF THOSE ISSUES. BUT I'M REALISTIC ABOUT IT. THIS IS A VERY BIG ICT SYSTEM, IT'S NOW GOT BEHIND THE EIGHT-BALL, AND THE CHALLENGE WILL BE HOW DOES IT CATCH UP. PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATION STAFF ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PUT IN MANY EXTRA DAYS AND HOURS OF WORK OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK TO TRY TO SORT OUT PAY PROBLEMS. SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW STRAIN OF NOROVIRUS IN NZ, AND IT'S GROWING AT A RAPID RATE. THE STRAIN NAMED 'SYDNEY 2012' FIRST EMERGED IN NZ EARLY LAST YEAR. TESTS SHOW THE MAJORITY OF OUTBREAKS WERE THE SYDNEY STRAIN RATHER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR THE 'NEW ORLEANS' STRAIN. SCIENTISTS SAY IT'S A PROBLEM OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS AREN'T ABLE TO RECOGNISE NOR RESIST IT. NOROVIRUS IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN BECAUSE IT'S HIGHLY INFECTIOUS AND CAN BE EASILY TRANSMITTED FROM PERSON TO PERSON AND CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT ILLNESS IN GROUPS OF PEOPLE. SCIENTISTS SAY IT'S UNLIKELY IT'LL KILL YOU, BUT STOMACH UPSETS WILL AFFECT PEOPLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IN THE UK, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 1.1 MILLION CASES. IN THE US, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER YET ANOTHER CAMPUS SHOOTING, THIS TIME AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. STUDENTS FLED THEIR CLASSES AFTER SHOTS WERE FIRED AROUND LUNCHTIME AND THE CAMPUS WAS PUT ON LOCKDOWN. ONE PERSON HAS BEEN ARRESTED, AND THERE'S SPECULATION THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SECOND SHOOTER INVOLVED, ALTHOUGH AUTHORITIES HAVEN'T CONFIRMED THAT. APPROXIMATELY ABOUT FIVE GUNSHOTS AS I WAS COMING FROM GOING TO THE PRE-ALGEBRA CLASS. IT WAS RIGHT THERE BY THE LONE STAR CAFE. AND ONCE EVERYONE HEARD THE SHOTS THERE WAS IMMEDIATE PANIC OF RUNNING. FROM WHAT I HEARD, IT WAS TWO YOUNG MEN WHO HAD AN ARGUMENT THAT LED TO GUNSHOTS. FOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOSPITALISED. AT LEAST TWO HAVE GUNSHOT WOUNDS, AND ONE PERSON IS BELIEVED TO HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK. THE SCHOOL'S TWITTER FEED SAYS THE SHOOTING WAS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE AND THAT THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL. A BRITISH WOMAN'S BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING NEARLY FIVE KILOS OF COCAINE INTO BALI. LINDSAY SANDIFORD CLAIMS SHE WAS BLACKMAILED INTO BEING A DRUG MULE, BUT JUDGES SAID SHE SHOWED NO REGARD FOR HER ACTIONS. HERE'S THE BBC'S KARISHMA VISHWANI. LINDSAY SANDIFORD WAS EXPECTING A GUILTY VERDICT TODAY, BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS. (SPEAKS INDONESIAN LANGUAGE) TRANSLATOR: LINDSAY SANDIFORD HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF IMPORTING NARCOTICS. THE DEFENDANT IS SENTENCED TO DEATH. JUDGES SAID SHE HAD DAMAGED THE REPUTATION OF BALI, AND SHE DIDN'T APPEAR TO CARE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER ACTIONS. COVERING HER HEAD WITH A BEIGE SARONG, SHE REFUSED TO SPEAK TO REPORTERS AS SHE LEFT THE COURT. THE MOTHER OF TWO HAS BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT EVER SINCE SHE WAS ARRESTED IN BALI AIRPORT LAST MAY AFTER POLICE FOUND 4.8KG OF COCAINE IN HER SUITCASE. THREE OTHER BRITONS WERE ARRESTED IN A STING OPERATION AFTER SHE COOPERATED WITH BALI POLICE. LAST YEAR PAUL BEALES WAS SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS FOR POSSESSION OF DRUGS. RACHEL DOUGALL, WHO'S FROM BRIGHTON, IS ALSO IN PRISON. SHE'S BEEN JAILED FOR A YEAR FOR FAILING TO REPORT A CRIME. A VERDICT ON JULIAN PONDER, WHO WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH DOUGALL, IS EXPECTED ON THE 29TH OF JANUARY. LINDSAY'S LAWYER SAYS SHE WILL APPEAL. TRANSLATOR: I THINK THE JUDGES DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION LINDSAY'S REMORSE FOR HER ACTIONS. IN HER PREVIOUS STATEMENTS SHE'S ALREADY SAID THAT SHE REGRETTED WHAT SHE DID, AND SHE'S APOLOGISED TO THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA. LINDSAY'S APPEAL COULD TAKE MONTHS. THE FOREIGN OFFICE SAYS IT'S RAISED HER CASE WITH INDONESIA AND ADDED THE UK IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE DEATH PENALTY. WHILE THESE DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE, LINDSAY'S FATE HANGS IN THE BALANCE. ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, LOOKS SET TO WIN A THIRD TERM IN OFFICE, ACCORDING TO EXIT POLLS. BUT HE'S LIKELY TO HAVE A REDUCED MAJORITY. HERE'S THE BBC'S WYRE DAVIS. PEOPLE SING LIKUD PARTY ACTIVISTS CELEBRATING TONIGHT IN TEL AVIV. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF SEATS HELD BY THE GOVERNING COALITION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SLASHED, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S LIKUD PARTY SAYS IT CAN FORM ANOTHER GOVERNMENT. BUT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN WEAKENED. THESE ARE THE VOTERS WHO WALKED AWAY FROM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ` IDEOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS JEWS WHO LIVE IN SETTLEMENTS IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN WEST BANK; SETTLEMENTS REGARDED AS ILLEGAL UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. THEY USED TO VOTE FOR THE LIKUD PARTY, BUT SAY NETANYAHU'S ABANDONED THEM. AND MANY HERE ARE AGAINST HIS OFFICIAL POLICY OF SUPPORTING A PALESTINIAN STATE. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU VOTED EARLY TODAY, CONFIDENT HE WAS UNLIKELY TO LOSE HIS JOB, BUT ALSO KNOWING HE MIGHT WELL HAVE TO GOVERN AT THE HEAD OF AN EVEN MORE RIGHT-WING COALITION. IN A BID TO MAKE UP GROUND ON THE RIGHT, MR NETANYAHU'S AUTHORISED EVEN MORE BUILDING IN THE SETTLEMENTS, AND THERE'S BEEN NO PROGRESS IN PEACE TALKS WITH THE PALESTINIANS. SOME ARE CONCERNED THAT WITH CRITICAL DECISIONS TO MAKE, THE PRIME MINISTER COULD ISOLATE ISRAEL EVEN FURTHER. THE CENTRIST FUTURE PARTY, LED BY FORMER JOURNALIST YAIR LAPID COULD NOW PLAY A ROLE IN A MORE MODERATE GOVERNMENT. BUT NETANYAHU COULD STILL DECIDE TO BRING IN THE RIGHT-WINGER NAFTALI BENNETT, ANOTHER NEWCOMER WHO'S SHAKEN ISRAEL'S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE. PARTS OF BRITAIN ARE SHIVERING UNDER SNOW AND ICE THAT'S AFFECTED LARGE AREAS OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES AND IRELAND. AND IT'S NOT LIKELY TO GET WARMER ANY TIME SOON. HERE'S THE BBC'S JOHN KAY. SNOW ` THE GREAT LEVELLER. FROM THE SOUTH-WEST TO THE NORTH-EAST OF ENGLAND, DEVON TO COUNTY DURHAM ` HUNDREDS OF MILES APART, BUT IN EXACTLY THE SAME POSITION TONIGHT, SHOVELLING AND SHIVERING ONCE AGAIN. IN MANY PLACES, ROAD CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ATROCIOUS. THIS WAS THE MORNING RUSH HOUR IN PLYMOUTH. THERE WERE 10 SERIOUS COLLISIONS WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES, AS HAIL FELL ON TO ICE. AND TONIGHT, MORE WARNINGS. IT'S BEEN THE SAME STORY IN PARTS OF NORTHERN IRELAND. THIS WAS THE SCENE OUTSIDE BELFAST EARLIER, WHERE SEVERAL ROUTES BECAME IMPASSABLE. BUT TONIGHT, IT'S THE SOUTH-WEST OF ENGLAND WHICH IS SET TO GET THE GREATEST COVERING. FORECASTERS ARE PREDICTING UP TO HALF A FOOT OF FRESH SNOW ON HIGH GROUND ` THAT'S ON TOP OF THE EXISTING STUFF. THIS COLD SNAP IS FAR FROM OVER. RETURNING TO OUR BIG STORY THIS MIDDAY... THE MAJOR SCRUB FIRE ON GREAT BARRIER ISLAND IN THE HAURAKI GULF. ONE NEWS REPORTER LISA OWEN HAS BEEN OUT TO BARRIER BY HELICOPTER TO CHECK OUT THE FIRE SCENE FROM THE AIR. 40 FIREFIGHERS WERE HERE OVERNIGHT. IT'S A TROUBLESOME AREA. IT'S SWAMPY. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS FIRE. YOU COULD SEE LOGS STILL SMOULDERING, NO OBVIOUS FLAMES. CHOPPERS WITH MONSOON BUCKETS ARE WORKING OVERTIME. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AREAS OF FLAMES. THEY'RE RUNNING LOW ON FUEL. PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED LAST NIGHT, ABOUT 20 HOMES. THIS IS A VERY HOT SURFACE. LOTS OF BLACK CHARCOAL. THIS LAND, WHERE THERE IS LOTS OF SCRUB. THEY'RE WORKING OVERTIME TO GET THIS UNDER CONTROL. AND WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE LATER ON THE GREAT BARRIER FIRE AND THE OTHER BIG SCRUB BLAZE ON THE KAIPARA HARBOUR IN NORTHLAND. WE WILL HAVE THE LATEST PICTURES ON ONE NEWS AT 6, PLUS ON OUR WEBSITE AT ONENEWS.CO.NZ. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS. THEN IN SPORT, AN HISTORIC WIN FOR THE NZ CRICKETERS. AND NOVAK DJOKOVIC MAKES IT TO THE FINAL FOUR AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN. 1 WITH ME NOW IS ROGER COULTER FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. THIS ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. FOR MORE, GO TO ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND CLICK ON 'BUSINESS'. US REPORTING ` GOOGLE. GOOGLE PUT OUT RESULTS FOR ITS DECEMBER QUARTER. A BIG RISE IN PROFITS. GOOGLE GIVES AWAY ITS SOFTWARE FOR FREE SO IT HAS TO MAKE MONEY ON ADVERTISING. IT PICKED UP IN THE DECEMBER QUARTER. THE CHALLENGE FOR THEM IS AS MORE ADVERTISING MOVES ON TO THE MOBILE PLATFORM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. A REPORT FROM VERIZON? IT'S CONNECTED TO APPLE? APPLE REPORTS TOMORROW. VERIZON GIVES CLUES TO WHAT APPLE MIGHT COME OUT WITH. VERIZON SOLD DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF IPHONES FROM LAST QUARTER. BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE THE IPHONE FIVE IS THE QUESTION. THIS DEMONSTRATES THAT THE APPLE FRANCHISE IS STRONG. THANK YOU, ROGER COULTER FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. IN MIDDAY SPORT, THE NZ CRICKET TEAM HAS WON ITS FIRST EVER SERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. AFTER BEING OUTCLASSED IN THE TEST MATCHES AND LOSING THE T20 ENCOUNTERS, THE BLACKCAPS WON THE SECOND ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL THIS MORNING TO TAKE A 2-0 LEAD IN THE THREE-MATCH SERIES. THE WIN WAS BASED ON AN UNBEATEN CENTURY FROM KANE WILLIAMSON AND A RECORD-EQUALLING FIVE RUN-OUTS DURING SOUTH AFRICA'S INNINGS. THIS FROM MARTIN TASKER. AN ALL TOO FAMILIAR STUTTERING START FOR THE BLACKCAPS ` 0/1 WITH MARTIN GUPTILL OUT FOR A DUCK. PLAYERS SHOUT CRIES OF 'CATCH IT', AND IT'S TAKEN COMFORTABLY. 2/32 WITH BJ WATLING GONE FOR 12. BIG SHOUT, HUGE SHOUT AND THE FINGER GOES UP. ENTER KANE WILLIAMSON, MOVING SWIFTLY TO HIS 50. THAT'S NICELY PLACED. TWO MORE FOURS HELPED BRING UP THE BLACKCAPS' HUNDRED. SO TWO BOUNDARIES OFF THE FIRST THREE BALLS. HIS OWN DULY FOLLOWED FROM A HUNDRED BALLS. THAT'S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL HUNDRED NUMBER THREE. THE PARTNERSHIP WITH GRANT ELLIOT WAS WORTH 127 BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE ON 48. GOT HIM! THAT'S HIM GONE. SKIPPER BRENDON MCCUULLUM CAME OUT SWINGING... FANTASTIC SHOT. ...AND WENT OUT SWINGING. BOWLED HIM! WILLIAMSON WAS THE ROCK ` 145 NOT OUT IN NZ'S 279/8. INITIALLY, THE CHASE ON A GOOD WICKET LOOKED EASY FOR SOUTH AFRICA. GRAHAM SMITH WAS QUICK TO 50, FOLLOWED BY COLIN INGRAM. THAT'S AN EDGE. THE BLACKCAPS NEEDED WICKETS ` AND SUDDENLY GOT THEM. OH, GOTTA HURRY, GOTTA HURRY. OH, I RECKON THAT'S GONE. THAT WAS THE FIRST OF FIVE RUN-OUTS. HE MIGHT HAVE GOT A FINGER ON THAT. PLAYERS SHOUT OH, ANOTHER DIRECT HIT. HE'S DROPPED HIS BAT. THE BEST FROM GUPTILL, MAKING AMENDS FOR HIS DUCK. IS THAT ANOTHER ONE!? ADD A COUPLE OF FINE CATCHES... ...AND A CLEAN-BOWLED. BOWLED HIM. THE BLACKCAPS WIN BY 27 RUNS AND TAKE THE THREE-MATCH SERIES 2-0. MARTIN TASKER, ONE NEWS. NZ REACHED 279, WITH KANE WILLIAMSON THERE TILL THE END, BUT NOT TOO MUCH SUPPORT FROM ANYONE APART FROM SOUTH AFRICAN-BORN GRANT ELLIOTT. SOUTH AFRICA WERE CRUISING AT 167/1 BEFORE AN EXTRAORDINARY MELTDOWN WHERE THEY LOST 9/85, FIVE OF THEM RUN TO RUN OUTS. NZ WERE WINNERS BY 27 RUNS. THE 3RD MATCH IN THE SERIES IS IN POTCHEFSTROOM ON SATURDAY NZ TIME. AND DUMPED BLACKCAPS SKIPPER ROSS TAYLOR HAS MADE HIS LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO THE GAME TODAY. TAYLOR'S TRAINING WITH HIS CENTRAL DISTRICTS SIDE AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH AGAINST CANTERBURY STARTING IN NAPIER TOMORROW. TAYLOR'S BEEN TAKING TIME OUT AFTER THE BLACKCAPS CAPTAINCY FIASCO LEFT HIM OUT OF THE TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA BUT IS NOW WORKING TO PUT THAT BEHIND HIM. HE'S CONSCIOUS THAT HE'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT UNDERDONE WITH HIS CRICKET. HE HAS BEEN HITTING BALLS FOR A WEEK OR SO, MAYBE TWO WEEKS. HOWEVER, NET PRACTICE IS NOT PRACTICE IN THE MIDDLE AND SO HE'LL MAYBE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET INTO IT, BUT HE'S CERTAINLY WORKING HARD AND IS TIMING THE BALL WELL. TODAY IS A MAJOR STEP IN TAYLOR'S EXPECTED RETURN TO INTERNATIONAL CRICKET WHEN ENGLAND ARRIVES HERE NEXT WEEK. IN TENNIS, WORLD NUMBER ONE NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS A STEP CLOSER TO DEFENDING HIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN CROWN AFTER OVERCOMING CZECH THOMAS BERDYCH TO PROGRESS TO THE SEMI-FINALS. THE TOP SEED, ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, WASN'T SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF FATIGUE AS HE CRUISED THROUGH THE FIRST SET. BERDYCH CAME BACK IN THE SECOND BEFORE SUCCUMBING. DJOKOVIC'S WIN FOLLOWS A MARATHON FIVE-HOUR MATCH AGAINST STANISLAS WAWRINKA JUST TWO DAYS AGO. GAME, SET, MATCH DJOKOVIC. HIS QUEST TO BECOME THE FIRST MAN IN THE OPEN ERA TO WIN THREE CONSECUTIVE AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKES ANOTHER STEP. YEAH, IT WAS A BIG GAME, BIG SERVE. IF HE'S ON, HE CAN WIN AGAINST ANYBODY ON ANY SURFACE, SO I WAS AWARE OF HIS QUALITIES AND I CAME OUT AND PLAYED MY BEST TENNIS AND I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE PERFORMANCE. FINAL SCORE 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. IN THE WOMEN'S DRAW, MARIA SHARAPOVA'S CONTINUED HER UNTROUBLED RUN. THE RUSSIAN, IN YELLOW, HAD A STRAIGHT SETS VICTORY OVER COMPATRIOT EKETERINA MAKAROVA. A CONVINCING PERFORMANCE FROM THE NUMBER TWO SEED. SHARAPOVA COMPLETED THE 6-2, 6-2 DRUBBING IN JUST OVER AN HOUR TO SET UP A SEMI-FINAL SHOWDOWN WITH LI NA. SHE'S NOW DROPPED JUST NINE GAMES THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. NOW TO THE WEATHER. THERE'S A HIGH ANCHORED TO THE EAST WITH SOME FRONTS BUNCHED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF IT, SO EXPECT A FEW SHOWERS AS THEY MOVE ON TO THE MAINLAND. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ TO THE TOP STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE. A HUGE FIRE IN NORTHLAND HAS CLAIMED ANOTHER 5HA OF CONSERVATION LAND THIS MORNING. SCHOOL STAFF AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE HOPEFUL STEVEN JOYCE IS THE SOLUTION TO THE DISASTROUS NOVOPAY PROBLEM. AND NZ CRICKET FANS ARE REJOICING WITH THE BLACKCAPS RECORDING A HISTORIC ONE-DAY SERIES WIN OVER SOUTH AFRICA. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THE ONE NEWS HOUR WILL BE HERE AT 6. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY TRACEY DAWSON AND ANGELA ALICE. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2013