If Ryder goes near the top of the FC charts he'll play for NZ. Woakes isn't playing more than two Plunket matches, if any, is he? Agree on all the rest though - seeing Tarun's already been dropped from Hawke's Bay, makes sense he may miss CD at least on a green one early season.[Picks for upcoming season (first game starts tomorrow)
Plunket Shield: Wellington
One day: Wellington
HRV Cup: Northern Districts
Highest FC run-scorer: Jesse Ryder
Highest FC wicket-taker: Woakes
HRV Cup MVP: Scott Styris
Batting 6 in Test team at end of summer: Fanko
Current nationally contracted player who gets dropped from FC team: Tarun Nethula
Also regarding HRV selector - I can maybe run it - but want a show of hands who would enter, last two drafts we abandoned as only me and athers were keen.
Sign up list for hrv selector
Athers
hurricane
who else need 6 peeps.
If Ryder goes near the top of the FC charts he'll play for NZ. Woakes isn't playing more than two Plunket matches, if any, is he? Agree on all the rest though - seeing Tarun's already been dropped from Hawke's Bay, makes sense he may miss CD at least on a green one early season.
The rest of the country will be pleased to hear how much we're planning to bowl Ryder. Doing the 4th seamer work that keeps Boam out of the side too, which should make him doubly keen to recapture his 40 wickets at 25 for Wgtn early days.Brodie's had a wretched run with broken bones in the last three years, so by comparison, a slight hamstring strain is pretty minor. Even so, it's still a disappointment to everyone at Cricket Wellington.
"He doesn't have much luck, unfortunately," said CW's director of cricket Robbie Kerr.
In Brodie's absence, new Plunket Shield captain Stephen Murdoch will open the batting with Michael Papps, with Michael Pollard and then Jesse Ryder to follow. From there it's a bit of a movable feast, due to the fulltime addition of wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi.
He's due to arrive in Wellington today, having represented his old Perth Scorchers team at the Twenty20 Champions League in South Africa.
Ronchi played one match for Wellington last summer, belting 111 against CD at Karori Park, but might only come in at seven in this game, behind Grant Elliott and Luke Woodcock.
"There's some good debate around that order," Kerr said. "You've got Ronchi, who's got a pretty good average for Wellington at this stage, and Luke Woodcock's averaged over 50 for the last three years, so you don't want those guys sliding down too low.
"But Grant Elliott was [Wellington] cricketer of the year three out of the last six years so his record stacks up."
That meant there was no place in the Firebirds' 12 for all-rounder Harry Boam, a regular across all three formats last summer.
Kerr said Ryder could provide the overs of medium pace that Boam ordinarily would, while the middle order was already congested enough.
Queensland quick bowler Dane Hutchinson looms as the likely 12th man, with Wellington looking to go into the match with three fast bowlers and Jeetan Patel as their frontline spinner.
Opening bowler Mark Gillespie got through 25 overs, across two days, during the team's tune-up match against Northern Districts at Mount Maunganui and will be joined in the pace attack by Andy McKay and Scott Kuggeleijn.
Gillespie has been slowed by an ankle injury during the pre-season but, providing he suffers no adverse effects from his bowling loads against ND, he'll be fit for Sunday.
I hope not.Plunket Shield: ND.
One day: Wellingtron (they have to win something one day, surely. And the OD competition is probably the hardest to pick)
HRV Cup: Auckland
Highest FC run-scorer: Matthew Sinclair
Highest FC wicket-taker: Arnel
HRV Cup MVP: Munro
Batting 6 in Test team at end of summer: Flynn
His Manawatu team-mate, speedster Bevan Small, could have been an option to replace Bracewell but is still suffering from a recurring rib injury.
"I'd absolutely love to have him on the park" Hunt said. "The reality is he's going to have some surgery quite soon."
CD will have their test players available for about eight games of the Plunket Shield this season but they will be a rare sight in the shorter formats.
Left-arm swing bowler Ben Wheeler from Marlborough has recovered faster than expected from injury and should play, while CD will see more of leg-spinner Tarun Nethula than expected, after he was dropped from the national side.
Northern Districts newcomer Andrew Mathieson, former Wellington right-armer Andrew Lamb and Manawatu's Roald Badenhorst should fight it out for the final bowling spot in the XI.
I hope not as well - my picks are very much with the idea that nothing will really change this season i.e. ND's bowling attack will be good even if only occasionally has Southee & Boult. Sinclair will have a top season just to make us all imagine what might have been. Auckland will win T20 again. Many of the bowlers who could threaten Arnel for top spot are likely to have fitness issues anyway.I hope not.
Ryder will fill that role eventually anyway.Now that Franklin is bowling the ball a foot outside off stump with a 6-3 field - I am hoping it will be him rather than Flynn just for the bowling option. he won't take any wickets but he can give our main guys a rest.
he may do - but would prefer he didn't bowl - he is too fat and he strains his body too much.Ryder will fill that role eventually anyway.