Boult, Wagner boost ND as one-dayers begin

Black Caps quick Trent Boult will represent Northern Districts in a one-day match for the first time in over four years when the Ford Trophy begins today.

New Zealand’s Twenty20 contingent departs today for the United Arab Emirates to face Pakistan, leaving those involved in only the one-day and test squads to turn out in domestic cricket.

Boult is the most high-profile and will don the ND maroon for their Ford Trophy 50-over opener against defending champions Auckland at Eden Park’s outer oval. Test seamer Neil Wagner will also play for ND, giving them a high quality pace attack against the Aces.

It will be Boult’s first Ford Trophy match for ND since April

2014 when he featured in the

50-over final against Wellington at Mt Maunganui.

The Black Caps play three T20s against Pakistan, starting next Thursday, while the first of the three ODIs isn’t until November 8, followed by the three-match test series.

Left-arm swing bowler Boult was part of a star-studded ND team in the opening round of the Plunket Shield competition, which also included Wagner, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme and Ish Sodhi, and former New Zealand players Dean Brownlie and Daniel Flynn.

Canterbury will field a strong team for their match against Wellington at the Basin Reserve with Black Caps fast bowler Matt Henry and batsmen Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls, who are in the ODI and tests teams, all named.

Otago have been bolstered by former Black Caps Neil Broom and Anaru Kitchen, who aren’t available for first-class cricket either this summer, against Central Districts in Nelson.

The Ford Trophy has been pushed forward this season and will be played over an extended 10-round format, where teams play each other twice. The final will be played on December 1.

At a glance