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Canterbury's already hapless and now hopeless defence of cricket's Shell Trophy plummeted to a new low when Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, and Nathan Astle withdrew from the team to play Otago.

The shock news of McMillan's left hand being in plaster was compounded by notifications that Harris and Astle needed to rest minor injuries in the midst of the South African test series.

Fleming's bid to use the game - which starts at the QEII Village Green today - as an extended fitness test ended when he advised coach Garry MacDonald his groin injury was still troubling him.

``He's not ready,'' said MacDonald of Fleming. ``There is absolutely no point in pushing him till he is. He's not crying off, he wants to play.''

Both MacDonald and selection convener Brian McKechnie were disappointed in losing Harris and Astle after New Zealand Cricket had permitted test batsmen to play. They had to recall players left out of the team only 24 hours earlier to make way for the returning internationals.

Otago's only test player, Matthew Horne, has a minor back strain and is not expected to play.

MacDonald cancelled a scheduled practice, saying ``two or three can't train. We're either all there or none of us at all''.

A ``harrowing morning'' fuelled MacDonald's contention that the Shell Trophy had become a secondary event.

``The Shell Trophy should be the prime competition, but it's not. The Shell Cup has taken precedence over it. They have devalued the Shell Trophy so much it's almost like the B competition was in the old days,'' he said.

MacDonald is a strong advocate of scrapping Conference cricket to restore the trophy to two full rounds.

Teams:

Canterbury (from): Craig Cumming (captain), Llorne Howell, Michael Papps, Marcel McKenzie, Scott Pawson, Mark Priest, Glynn Howell, Warren Wisneski, Shane Bond, Stephen Cunis, Carl Anderson, Chris Martin, Robbie Frew.

Otago: Marty Croy (captain), Chris Gaffaney, Michael Lamont, Mark Richardson, Stephen Mather, Chris Davies, Simon Forde, Paul Wiseman, Nathan Morland, Mark Billcliff, Glenn Jonas, David Sewell.

Points:

Central 14, Northern 12, Otago 8, Wellington 8, Auckland 8, Canterbury 2. Top two qualify for final from March 19-23.