Ellis back to bolster Canty in shield
Injury-ravaged Canterbury are set to welcome back 97 matches of first class experience for their Plunket Shield clash against Northern Districts, starting on Monday.
Captain Andrew Ellis has been named in a 13-man squad and is expected to play in Rangiora, having sat out the opener with a broken carpal bone in his nondominant left hand.
Ellis, who made his Canterbury four-day debut in 2003, has almost played as many first class matches as the rest of his team-mates combined.
The veteran all-rounder had his cast removed yesterday and will mainly be used as a bowler. He is likely to bat lower than his usual middle order slot, depending on how he gets through training over the weekend.
‘‘I’m very confident he will be ready to go,’’ Canterbury coach Gary Stead said. ‘‘If you look at our bowling caps we had for the last game we had 38 in total and [spinner] Tim Johnston had 27 of them, so that’s something we were missing, certainly in that pace area.’’
Canterbury, who are missing contracted fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson, Ed Nuttall, Nathan McNicol and Henry Shipley through injury, have been boosted by the addition of 25-year-old Sydney-based all-rounder Daniel Sams.
Sams, a middle order batsman and left-arm opening bowler, is available for the next two Plunket Shield matches. He has been involved in Australia’s Futures League (second XI competition below the Sheffield Shield) and with the Sydney Sixers Twenty20 academy.
Batsman Ken McClure is in line for a return after missing the opening-round seven wicket loss to Otago through concussion. McClure must get through a oneday match for his East Christchurch Shirley club against Old Boys Collegians on Saturday to prove his fitness.
Brett Hampton, who was loaned to Canterbury by ND for the Otago match, has rejoined his contracted side. Hampton whacked 60 from 55 balls in the second innings batting at seven.
Stead was encouraged by his injury-hit side’s showing against a quality Otago team, containing six past or present Black Caps.
Canterbury did well to roll Otago for 216 in their first innings and were in the contest midway through day three, setting the Volts 239 to win.
Picking up early second innings wickets was pivotal, but openers Hamish Rutherford and Brad Wilson added 162, which killed off any chance Canterbury had.
ND will bring a strong team south, featuring test wicketkeeper BJ Watling (hip injury dependent) and recent Black Caps Dean Brownlie and Scott Kuggeleijn.