Return of Black Caps a boost for domestic teams

New Zealand’s lengthy break between games in the Twenty20 tri-series is unlikely to generate complaints from the majority of the country’s domestic teams.

With the Black Caps not in action again until next Tuesday, when they host England in Wellington, a string of squad members are available for the penultimate round of the Ford Trophy today.

Sitting atop the competition with 23 points from five wins and a loss, the Central Stags will be bolstered by Tom Bruce and Seth Rance for their away match against the fourth-placed Firebirds.

They are two of a bunch of Black Caps set to return to domestic cricket, with Ish Sodhi, Anaru Kitchen, and Tom Blundell among others set to get a hit out.

Bruce’s last four innings for NZ (all T20s) - 3, 22, 11, 26 - don’t make for pretty reading, but don’t think for a minute his team aren’t happy to have him back.

Central can clinch the top seed with a match to spare if they beat the Firebirds, who have Otago and Canterbury breathing down their necks.

Wellington will be aided by Blundell’s return, although the wicketkeeper-batsman managed only 14 in the loss to Australia on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Otago has welcomed back Kitchen for their crunch match against Northern Districts in Dunedin, a match they practically need to win to keep their playoff hopes beating.

However, it won’t come easy against Northern, who will unleash leg-spinner Sodhi on them.

Northern have lost Anton Devcich, who has departed for a stint with the Galaxy Gladiators Lantau in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz.

In the other match, it’s mustwin territory for defending champions Canterbury, whose previous match - against Northern in Whangarei - was abandoned due to wet weather.

Canterbury, who have had New Zealand one-day players Todd Astle, Matt Henry, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls available their last three games, have won just one of their five completed games but are still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs.