Otago will find themselves in the rare position, in modern times at least, of being the focal point when the third round of games in the State Championship get underway tomorrow

Lynn McConnell09-Dec-2002Otago will find themselves in the rare position, in modern times at least, of being the focal point when the third round of games in the State Championship get underway tomorrow.Otago are at home to Northern Districts in the first game of what is likely to be the future shape of most of the competition now that the leading international players have been taken from the action for the National Bank Test series against India.But for Otago the occasion is all the more important because for the first time in two or three seasons it is able to put its strongest team on the field, and central to that is the first appearance on his comeback of Jeff Wilson.The colourful double All Black is still feeling his way back into first-class cricket since making his decision at the end of Super 12 rugby this year to retire from rugby and concentrate on cricket.A supremely-talented player before committing himself to rugby, Wilson has been careful in managing his return to cricket. He has set no high expectations, although such has been the mercurial nature of his sporting career that public expectation is very high, and has quartered himself in Invercargill with his long-standing club side of Appleby and for Southland in Hawke Cup elimination matches.With left-arm international bowler Shayne O’Connor also rejoining the side, there is an experienced heart to the team that Otago has been lacking in recent times. Northern Districts has made a sound if not earth-shattering start to the competition, and Otago, if it can get the runs it has lacked in recent times, will be a much more competitive force.Wilson’s ability with the bat, when blended with the attacking potential of Brendon McCullum and Warren McSkimming, gives Otago some firepower to complement the efforts of their top-order.Looking ahead to the State Shield there must be great hope that Otago can field these players consistently to up their winning percentage in that competition.Its side for the match is: Craig Cumming (captain), Mohammad Wasim, Robbie Lawson, Marcel McKenzie, Brendon McCullum, Jordan Sheed, Warren McSkimming, Jeff Wilson, Nathan Morland, Shayne O’Connor, Kerry Walmsley, James McMillan.With Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Scott Styris and Robbie Hart all required for Test match duty, and Ian Butler out injured, Northern Districts have been forced to bring in five new players. If they play, Gareth West, David Kelly and Nathan Daley will be making their first-class debuts for Northern Districts, though all three have played representative cricket at this level before.Bruce Martin and Simon Andrews will play their first matches for the side this season. Matthew Hart has been named as captain of the side in his brother’s absence.The Northern Districts side is: Matthew Hart (captain), James Marshall, Nick Horsley, Michael Parlane, David Kelly, Hamish Marshall, Joseph Yovich, Bruce Martin, Graeme Aldridge, Gareth West, Simon Andrews, Nathan Daley.Canterbury have also been forced to make significant changes for their match at Dudley Park, Rangiora against Wellington.With Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan and Shane Bond required for international duties the door has re-opened for Shanan Stewart and Robbie Frew while Warren Wisneski is available again.Wellington, by comparison, have lost Stephen Fleming and a replacement was necessary for the injured James Franklin.Canterbury: Gary Stead (captain), Brendon Donkers, Andrew Ellis, Robbie Frew, Peter Fulton, Chris Harris, Gareth Hopkins, Chris Martin, Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart, Paul Wiseman, Warren Wisneski.Wellington: Matthew Bell (captain), Richard Jones, Neal Parlane, Leighton Morgan, Grant Donaldson, Chris Nevin, Mark Jefferson, Jeetan Patel, Matthew Walker, Iain O’Brien, Mark Gillespie, Andrew Penn.With the elevation of Jacob Oram and Michael Mason to the TelstraClear Black Caps 12 for the Test, Greg Loveridge and Greg Todd return to the Central Districts team to play Auckland at Blenheim.Craig Spearman will captain the side again, and is likely to have the reins for a lot longer than he initially thought when taking up with Central Districts again.The side is: Craig Spearman (captain), Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair, Glen Sulzberger, Jamie How, Greg Loveridge, Greg Todd, Bevan Griggs, Martyn Sigley, Andrew Schwass, Brent Hefford, Lance Hamilton.Auckland have also been forced to make changes. Apart from losing their internationals, Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson, they have had to replace Tama Canning who has a badly bruised finger and Andre Adams who is still in recovery mode from his stress fracture to his back and unlikely to be able to handle a heavy workload in two matches in succession.The side is: Brooke Walker (captain), Matt Horne, Heath Davis, Bradley Nielsen, Tim McIntosh, Reece Young, Gareth Shaw, Rob Nicol, Richard King, Craig Pryor, Kyle Mills, Rob Lynch.