Shield spotlight falls on spinners
The twirly men are at it again in Plunket Shield.
Last season four of the top-five shield wicket-takers were spinners, and after two rounds in 2017-18 Central Stag Ajaz Patel and Canterbury’s Blake Coburn head the list with 13 apiece.
The left-arm duo will try to outdo each other in round three, starting on Tuesday, when the Stags visit Hagley Oval which continues to be spin-friendly.
Patel headed last year’s wickettaking charts with 44 at an average of 31 and continues to bamboozle batsmen with his left-arm orthodox, without too many meaningful glances from the national selectors.
Coburn, a rare left-arm wrist spinner, shot to prominence with a seven-wicket haul in Canterbury’s win over Northern Districts but with legspinner Todd Astle soon to return from a groin injury has to keep performing.
Leaders Wellington face their first away trip, to Hamilton to meet Northern while bottom-placed Auckland are at home to Otago.
CANTERBURY v CENTRAL DISTRICTS at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Defending champions Canterbury again found a way to win, despite being undermanned and with captain Andrew Ellis batting one-handed at No 11 as he rushes back from a broken hand.
Ellis, last year’s domestic player of the year, is back to lead the side while Sydney allrounder Daniel Sams proved an excellent addition with bat and ball in the win over Northern.
The Stags are off and racing after a big win over Auckland and sit second, 15 points behind the Firebirds.
They also welcome back George Worker from India where he wasn’t required by the Black Caps, and will likely open the batting.
Runs haven’t been an issue for the Stags in Worker’s absence as Jesse Ryder stepped up to the plate, blasting 175 and 106 not out to trumpet his first appearance of the season, while Doug Bracewell showed his worth with the bat too as he bids for a Black Caps recall.
Canterbury (from): Andrew Ellis (captain), Chad Bowes, Leo Carter, Ken McClure, Cole McConchie, Michael Pollard, Cam Fletcher, Daniel Sams, Tim Johnston, Blake Coburn, Fraser Sheat, Will Williams.
Central (from): Will Young (captain), Greg Hay, George Worker, Jesse Ryder, Brad Schmulian, Dane Cleaver, Doug Bracewell, Bevan Small, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Navin Patel, Blair Tickner.
AUCKLAND v OTAGO at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
The Aces will eagerly await the return of Black Caps Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme next week, after their batting crumbled in successive matches in Wellington and Nelson.
It’s been a tough start to the captaincy for Michael Guptill-Bunce who needs to find runs from somewhere as they return to Eden Park’s Outer Oval against a Neil Wagnerled Otago attack.
Promising allrounder Sean Solia returns for Auckland, while young bowlers Ben Lister and Danru Ferns come into the squad. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who snared five wickets in Nelson then appeared to suffer a broken finger which ruled him out of the second innings, was named in the Auckland 12 which suggested his injury wasn’t as bad as first thought.
‘‘It hasn’t been an ideal start but the boys are pumped to be home in familiar surroundings and we know the Eden Park groundies will have produced an excellent surface,’’ Guptill-Bunce said.
Otago are coming off an innings defeat in Wellington, which followed an opening round win. They also had two players fall foul of the code of conduct: Wagner fined $560 for an on-field clash with Ollie Newton and Hamish Rutherford censured for knocking the bails off at the bowler’s end after he was dismissed.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS v WELLINGTON at Seddon Park, Hamilton
How Wellington fare away from their beloved Basin will be the big watch at Seddon Park.
In their best start to a season in recent memory the Firebirds racked up 40 points from two matches and are already short-priced favourites to win their first shield since 2004.
Under new skipper Michael Bracewell they’ve named an unchanged squad once again, with former Northern seamer Anurag Verma their only injury absentee.
Northern are yet to taste victory this season after suffering an agonising eight-run defeat at the hands of Coburn’s spin, chasing 245 in Christchurch.
They’re again without test wicketkeeper BJ Watling who missed the previous round with a hip injury.