Worker to return from injury for CD A

George Worker will make his comeback from injury for the Central Districts A side cricket next week.

The Black Caps and Manawatu batsman has been sidelined with a elbow injury this season and is yet to play, opting to rest a torn elbow ligament and hasn’t been a part of the first four rounds of the Plunket Shield.

But he is in the Central Districts A side that will play a Twenty20 quadrangular tournament against Northern Districts A, Auckland A and Wellington A at Taupo on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Other contracted CD players in the A side are young Nelson all-rounder Josh Clarkson and Manawatu seamer Navin Patel.

Manawatu batsman Mitch Renwick, who has played the first three Plunket Shield games for CD this season, will play for CD A, as will young Hawke’s Bay all-rounder Christian Leopard, who debuted at first-class level against Otago last week.

Renwick looks to have missed out in the CD senior squad because of the early return of Jesse Ryder.

White-ball specialist Ryder was covering when Will Young was with the New Zealand A squad. Now Young has returned to the Stags and Renwick has missed out for CD’S Plunket Shield game against Northern Districts at Napier, which starts on Tuesday, so Ryder must be staying on.

Hawke’s Bay seamer Liam Dudding is also a fringe CD player.

Taranaki all-rounder Mattie Thomas will captain the A side again and they have a new coach in Taranaki’s Jamie Watkins.

CD A have an extended programme this season.

After this quadrangular tournament they have a three-day game in Masterton with the national A tournament at Lincoln in the new year.

They are likely to have another two three-day games at Wellington and Napier in January.