Venue: McLean Park, Napier
Pitch & Conditions:
The last domestic game that happened on this ground was in 2016 & interestingly, it was between Otago & Stags, which Stags won by 5 runs defending 166.
Very limited data is available for this venue for ball white cricket (recent games) but overall number suggests, could be a good batting surface with early swing.
Squads:
Central Districts
Tom Bruce(c), Dane Cleaver(wk), Will Young, Dean Foxcroft, Blair Tickener, Ben Wheeler, Ajaz Patel, Williem Ludick, Josh Clarkson, George Worker, C Leopard, Kieran Barnett.
Otago Volts
Jacob Duffy (c), Hamish Rutherford,Brad Wilson, Josh Finnie, Shawn Hicks, Jack Hunter, Anaru Kitchen, Ben Cox(wk), Michael Rippon, Nathan Smith, Ben Raine, Matt Bacon
Expected 11:
Stags:
Cleaver (Wk), Worker, Young, Bruce, Clarkson, Barnett, Ludick, Foxcroft, Wheeler, Tickner, Ajaz.
*Rance has joined the Blackcaps squad for the T20 against SL & Ajaz will replace him in the eleven.
Volts:
Rutherford, Wilson, Kitchen, Hicks, Cox (Wk), Finnie, Raine, Rippon, Smith, Bacon, Duffy (C)
*Broom will continue to be on the sidelines due to injury & Ben Raine will debut for Volts tomorrow.
My Dream11 Team:
Wk: Cleaver
(Can consider Cox too)
Batsmen: Rutherford, Bruce, Young
Allrounders: Worker, Kitchen, Raine
Bowlers: Wheeler, Tickner, Ajaz, Duffy.
Captain’s choices:
Worker, Kitchen should be the safest choices in small leagues. While Raine, who’ll be playing his first game isn’t a bad option either considering he usually bowls in death & is a very handy batsman too.
In GL’s, Noema Barnett can be a very good punt as he has finally starting bowling in the last game & with Rance unavailable, he is expected to bowl more & also did well with bat in the Plunkett Shield.
Good Luck & do upvote if you like the analysis.