A district cricket match between Hawke's Bay and Manawatu scheduled for this weekend has proven quite timely for the Central Districts' selectors.

The two teams contain a significant proportion of the members of the CD squad and the traditionally hard-fought match will be a welcome chance to assess the form of players, only a week out from the opening of the State Championship.

CD play the first match of the competition against Otago at Wanganui, starting on November 23.

New CD coach Mark Greatbatch said it had not been ideal not being able to work with the players for six weeks while they were on strike.

The players still in New Zealand had been getting together every fortnight since mid-winter which was something that hadn't been done before and it had been working well.

However, he was confident that getting the players back together and playing cricket, and making them the better players they want to be, would see them pick up where they left off very quickly.

There was some competition for places in the side, and Greatbatch was expecting the four members of the New Zealand Under-19 side from last summer, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Ian Sandbrook and Richard Sherlock to all push for places in the side.

The side will have to do without bowler Andrew Schwass for the first match. Last year's most successful bowler for CD, he took 45 wickets at 14.73, dislocated his thumb while batting in Nelson last week. He put it back in himself, continued batting, bowled and then the next day complained of soreness.

A check with a specialist showed that he had ruptured a ligament and he has the thumb in a cast for two weeks.

Craig Spearman lends a factor to the top of the order that was missing last summer for the side and after his experience in county cricket with Gloucestershire during the winter, he can be expected to be in good shape.

"If he is playing well, and it is his day, other sides know what can happen," Greatbatch said.

"He'll give us experience whoever he is opening with."

Mathew Sinclair had been working hard in Marlborough, where he is playing this year. That has given him a head start over other players because the competition starts a little earlier in the sunshine capital of New Zealand.

He scored 90 runs in club cricket last Saturday and had a century the weekend before.

"It looks like he is progressing well there," Greatbatch said.

Michael Mason, after a full off-season in which to put the injuries of his past behind him, is looking very fit and Greatbatch is expecting him to be a dangerous bowler this year.

Jacob Oram, who is looking to clinch a place in the World Cup side, has already made an impression on Greatbatch with his bowling this year and he is expecting Oram to take his batting to another level this summer.

One player who will be watched in Napier over the weekend will be Greg Loveridge who has started the season well with the bat but who hasn't had a lot of opportunity to bowl yet.

CD will name their team for the opening match on Monday.

© CricInfo