Smith ready to test water, but Bacon now out due to injury

NATHAN Smith will play club cricket today to test his match fitness, but fellow pace bowler Matt Bacon is out for the next three weeks.

Bacon was injured in the match against the Wellington Firebirds at the University of Otago Oval on Thursday.

He was on the wrong end of a vicious drive from Wellington batsman Finn Allen in the match when bowling and it has fractured his thumb.

Otago coach Rob Walter said it was a fierce blow from Allen, and Bacon would most probably be out for three weeks.

He could be back for the game against the Northern Knights in Dunedin on Waitangi Day.

Smith has been out with abdominal strain, which always take a while to heal. He was not far away from being fit for the match on Thursday, but it was decided to not risk it.

He would play some club cricket for the CarisbrookDunedin Knights side and be assessed after the games.

Two twenty20 rounds are being played today, and the final is set to be played tomorrow afternoon, at the University of Otago Oval.

Walter said things were looking promising for Smith, who had been missed by the Otago side.

‘‘We have been missing an allrounder. He contributes in one way or the other and is an outstanding fielder, one of the best in the competition,’’ Walter said.

‘‘With Jacob [Duffy] last year he was one of the best swing and bounce bowlers in the competition.’’

Smith had played for New Zealand A earlier this season and is one of the most promising young cricketers in the country.

Otago has now played five games in the Super Smash competition and at the halfway stage has two wins. It lost to Wellington by five wickets with more than three overs to spare in the match on Thursday.

Walter said the game was decided in what happened in the power plays at the start of each innings.

Otago was 45 for three when it batted at the end of the power play, while Wellington got off to a flyer and reached 50 within three overs.

Walter said with the slow start with the bat, there was a halt to momentum in the batting.

However, the side came home well with some lusty blows near the end, he said.

But a target of 180185 was needed, and the Volts came up with 167 for five wickets.

Finn Allen, with an unbeaten 92, then paced the Firebirds to a victory in the 17th over.

‘‘Anything we missed with he [Allen] just hit for four or six. There was not too much of a margin for error.

‘‘Sometimes in cricket you’ve got to acknowledge that he did really well,’’ Walter said.

‘‘Our guys hung in there. Mitch [McClenaghan] bowled really well and only got hit in that last over as he was trying to get a wicket.’’

The side will head to Taranaki tomorrow, to take on the Central Stags in New Plymouth on Monday.

Anything we missed with he [Allen] just hit for four or six.

There was not too much of a margin for error . . . Sometimes in cricket you’ve got to acknowledge that he

did really well.