Black Caps return to strengthen Stags lineup
Central Districts have had the luxury of bringing three of their big guns into camp this week.
The Stags have their fourth game of the Plunket Shield season against Otago at Dunedin today, when they will welcome back Black Caps Ross Taylor, Tom Bruce and Adam Milne, who have been in India.
Bruce and Taylor fit into a stacked batting lineup, while fast bowler Milne is likely to take the new ball at University Oval.
Taylor, a veteran of 81 tests for New Zealand, last played a Plunket Shield game in October 2015, fittingly against Otago.
Along with Bruce and Taylor, the batting lineup will feature fellow Black Cap George Worker (111 in his last innings), Greg Hay (140 in his last innings), Jesse Ryder (two centuries in the match two weeks ago), captain Will Young and Dane Cleaver.
The other addition is uncapped Taranaki seamer Ryan Watson, who was with the squad last season but did not play.
A former New Zealand under-19 player, Watson has played for CD A and bowled well for Taranaki in their Furlong Cup game against Wanganui last weekend.
Watson is likely to be 12th man, so Manawatu¯ ’s Navin Patel, who has carried the drinks for the first three games, should be in the starting XI.
Gone from the team that thrashed Canterbury by an innings and 86 runs last week are Brad Schmulian, Bevan Small, Seth Rance and Doug Bracewell.
Pace bowler Bracewell is being rested because he has played all three games season and done a lot of batting and bowling. Add in he has just come back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, so he gets a spell.
Fellow seamers Small and Rance are out injured. Small has a heel bruise and should be out for about 10 days, while Rance has just had scans for a shin problem.
Schmulian scored a double hundred on debut three weeks ago and has impressed in his three games, but with a batting lineup full of New Zealand players, someone had to make way.
As for the others in the injury ward, Ryan Mccone (back) should be available for the start of the limited-overs campaign at the start of next month, Ben Wheeler (hamstring) should be available for the next Plunket Shield match next week, Josh Clarkson (broken wrist) will play for CD A next week and Ben Smith (broken finger) will play club cricket this weekend.
The team makeup for their following game against Wellington in Nelson at the end of next week may be different, though.
CD coach Heinrich Malan expects to lose a few players through when the Black Caps and New Zealand A squads are announced.
But with the reinforcements for this game, CD will be looking to continue their strong start to the four-day competition, having had outright wins over Auckland and Canterbury, and a draw with Northern Districts.