Volts will need Smith against strong Central
ALLROUNDER Nathan Smith is back for the Otago Volts and he will be needed, the team taking on a stacked Central Stags team in New Plymouth today in what shapes as a mustwin game.
Smith has not been sighted in the Super Smash competition due to an abdominal strain. Rest is really the only option for such an injury and he has been declared fit after impressing in club play on Saturday. He slammed 95 in a victory for his CarisbrookDunedin Kaikorai side over University Grange and then bowled four overs in the side’s loss to North East Valley in the other game.
Smith will come into the team for Matt Bacon, who fractured his thumb in the defeat to Wellington last Thursday.
Coach Rob Walter said Otago would have to be on its game to beat Central Districts at Puke
Otago Volts v Central Stags
Otago: Nathan Smith, Neil Broom, Jacob Duffy (captain), Llew Johnson, Nick Kelly, Anaru Kitchen, Mitchell McClenaghan, Dale Phillips, Michael Rae, Mitch Renwick, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford.
Central: Tom Bruce (captain), Doug Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Joey Field, Christian Leopard, Kieran NoemaBarnett, Ajaz Patel, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner, George Worker, Will Young.
kura Park.
‘‘They have been playing well, especially at Pukekura Park when they have played there this season. They have got off to a good start and pushed on from there,’’ he said.
‘‘In this competition five wins generally gets you in with a shout of being in the two or three spot, so we need to get on a roll. We have not quite put it all together as a team. We have showed glimpses of it and the batting may have gone well and then the bowling, but we need to do both at the same time.’’
Wellington lost to the Canterbury Kings on Saturday by four wickets, pushing Canterbury up to share the lead with Wellington, both sides having lost just one game from six matches.
Central is on 16 points, while Otago is on eight. If it loses today it will be three wins away from the top three teams with just four games left to play.
So the match is a mustwin for Otago, albeit most games in this competition of just 10 matches become very important.
Central has plenty of depth in its side and captain Tom Bruce has rejoined the Central Stags squad after the birth of his first child.
The Stags defeated the Volts by 53 runs at the University of Otago Oval earlier this month.
George Worker blasted his maiden T20 century in this game and is sure to be keen to make a statement again.
The Stags team contains seven current or recent internationals in Ross Taylor, Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner, Will Young, Bruce, Worker and Doug Bracewell.
Bracewell has been outstanding this seasons with both bat and ball at Hagley Oval, while Young has produced backtoback T20 half centuries.
Cloudy skies with a chance of rain is forecast for New Plymouth today. The match will be livestreamed.