CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Returning New Zealand cricketer Nathan Astle may test his injured hand batting for a Canterbury XI today to gauge his fitness for tomorrow's sudden-death Shell Cup semi-final against Auckland at Jade Stadium.

Astle has been allowed to appear for a Canterbury XI on just the first day of a two-day match against the New Zealand Youth squad starting today on BIL Oval at Lincoln University.

His appearance is conditional that he first comes through a batting test on the bowling machine at New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre nearby earlier in the day.

``I'll face the bowling machine and see how the batting goes against pace bowling. I should be able to see if there is any jarring coming through the hand or not. Then if everything goes OK I'll try it out in the middle some time during the day,'' Astle said.

The Canterbury selectors have delayed naming their final team until his fitness is assessed.

Canterbury coach Garry MacDonald said Astle was likely to bat No. 4 for the Canterbury XI match which will bat first to accommodate him. Astle suffered a broken bone in a hand while batting in the second test against India at Wellington a month ago.

MacDonald said Astle was keen to play in the cup play-offs but is equally conscious of not re-injuring the hand with the series against South Africa starting in two weeks.

``He wants to have a bat and get the feel of things in the middle again before the semi-final and I can understand that.''

Astle batted briefly in the spin bowlers net at Canterbury practice two nights ago.

Apart from Astle, MacDonald has several other injury concerns with Geoff Allott also returning after an injury-enforced break. Fellow pace bowler Warren Wisneski is still battling a quad muscle problem.

``We have got a few guys in a delicate position with their injuries,'' MacDonald said.

Astle and Allott have been provisionally named in a 13-man squad along with Chris Cairns for the game. Hamish Barton, Brad Doody and Scott Pawson have been dropped.

Left-arm fast-medium bowler Allott bowled sharply at the nets to press his claims for inclusion after recovering from a hamstring strain he got playing for New Zealand against India in a one-day match at Napier on January 12. Allott has had minimal match practice for more than a month as he was 12th man for the two test matches this season. The team will have a light workout tonight.

MacDonald felt the Canterbury-Auckland game was shaping as a bigger match than the major semi-final between first and second qualifiers Northern Districts and Wellington in Hamilton. ``At full strength these are probably the two best sides in the competition.''

Test all-rounder and New Zealand one-day captain Dion Nash returns to the Auckland team being the third Black Cap to join the side along with Adam Parore and Bryan Young.

Meanwhile, Wellington cup captain Jason Wells has been dropped for the semi-final against Northern Districts with Roger Twose taking over the captaincy and Tim Boyer being included for Wells.

Semi-final teams

Canterbury (from): Llorne Howell, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Chris Cairns, Gary Stead (captain), Gareth Hopkins, Mark Priest, Warren Wisneski, Stephen Cunis, Shane Bond, Chris Martin, Geoff Allott.

Auckland: Blair Pocock (captain), Bryan Young, Aaron Barnes, Lou Vincent, Dion Nash, Adam Parore, Ian Billcliff, Craig Pryor, Kyle Mills, Brooke Walker, Mark Haslam, Chris Drum.

Northern Districts (from): Robbie Hart (captain), Michael Parlane, Mark Bailey, Neal Parlane, Hamish Marshall, Matthew Hart, Grant Bradburn, Scott Styris, Alex Tait, Daryl Tuffey, Simon Doull, Daniel Vettori, Joseph Yovich, Graeme Aldridge.

Wellington: Roger Twose (captain), Matthew Bell, Chris Nevin, Tim Boyer, Phil Chandler, Richard Petrie/Grant Donaldson, Gavin Larsen, Mark Jefferson, Mayu Pasupati, Carl Bulfin, Glen White, Heath Davis.

Footnote: The BIL Oval, being used for the Canterbury XI-New Zealand Youth team game, is hosting its first match in preparation for a first-class game between New Zealand A and South Africa in early March.