Henry’s back to face acid test against strongnd
Matt Henry’s troublesome lower back is likely to get an acid test over the next four days.
The 20-year-old has come back into the Canterbury Wizards Plunket Shield side as the bottom of the table Wizards host a star-studded Northern Districts side that comfortably lead the competition.
Henry missed the Wizards’ five wicket loss to Wellington last week as he’d been unable to get his bowling loads high enough in training and during the one-day competition.
Henry will be the leader of a talented, but young and inexperienced bowling lineup against ND, but his lower back remains an ongoing concern. He doesn’t have a dreaded stress fracture, but a stress reaction and needs to have plenty of overs under his belt to be fit enough to play.
He’s now up to that level and comes into the side as a replacement for left-arm quick Ryan Mccone who rolled his ankle in a warm-up touch game before the second day of the last match.
Canterbury Country’s Struan George has also been brought back in. East Shirley off-spinner Tim Johnston drops out of the squad from 12th man and Matt Mcewan is likely to be his replacement carrying the drinks.
With a batting line-up that boasts former internationals Hamish and James Marshall and current Black Caps Daniel Vettori and B J Watling, the young Wizards’ bowlers will no doubt be in for a stern challenge.
That’s not to say the Canterbury batsmen will have it easy. In Trent Boult, Brent Arnel and Graeme Aldridge, ND have plenty of new ball experience and of course Daniel Vettori will offer more than a handy slowbowling test.
ND have made just one change to their side that narrowly beat Central Districts in Gisborne to go top of the Plunket Shield table.
Former Canterbury all rounder Brandon Hiini comes in for James Baker who is unavailable. Coach Grant Bradburn has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal including eight players with international experience.
Depending on what Bradburn and captain Brad Wilson think of the Mainpower Oval deck – which will favour the seamers over the spinners – Hiini or young spinner Mitchell Santner would be the obvious candidates to be 12th man though with six players capable of filling the opening batsmen’s role alongside Wilson, make-shift opener Joey Yovich is another candidate to miss out.