Lack of preparation won't be an excuse for Northern Districts when they open their State Championship campaign against Auckland at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne on November 29.

Four of the side's front-line players, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, James Marshall and Bruce Martin, have been playing club cricket in Sydney over the last six weeks.

Marshall has scored 251 runs for the Eastern Suburbs club, including a 154, to average 50.20 after five matches. Tuffey has taken 12 wickets for the Sutherland club at an average of 20.08.

All four players will return to New Zealand on Sunday or Monday after completing the round of games that is underway in Sydney at the moment.

Their inclusion in teams in Sydney resulted from Scott Styris going to Gordon where former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon was associated last summer.

ND coach Bruce Blair said the inclusion of four players this year was a strengthening of the on-going relationship between ND and New South Wales.

After he and ND operations manager Pat Malcon visited Sydney to speak with senior NSW officials, they learned there had been acceptance of the ND players being involved. The New Zealand players, all of whom were good first-class players here, with Tuffey and Styris being international players, were bolstering the Sydney competition and it had been good for club players there to mix with the New Zealanders and to see them in action.

Blair was keen to see the system applied again next year because it not only gave the players cricket at a time when not a lot was happening due to climate restrictions in New Zealand, but it also helped develop the players' life skills.

"They've done pretty well and James Marshall has hit his straps," Blair said. "And Daryl has been very happy with the rhythm he has got and the way he's been feeling. Scott has been bowling on very, very true wickets to good players who look to attack."

The Australian four will not be included in the ND side to play Auckland, in Auckland, on Monday and Tuesday.

That will allow the selectors to have a look at three of four players who are on the fringe of the squad.

The full ND squad will then meet back in Hamilton on Wednesday for a fitness testing session and squad work.

The squad for the first part of the season will then get together in Hamilton for two days of practice before bussing to Gisborne on the Wednesday afternoon.

For those players back in New Zealand there have been two rounds of Hawke Cup play over the last two weekends.

Blair is looking forward to getting the team back together and looking forward to further develop the skills in the side.

© CricInfo