Cricket: Legspinner Phillips replaces McCullum

Nathan King.
Nathan King.
Otago has made one forced change and could lose its captain for the Plunket Shield match against Auckland beginning at Eden Park Outer Oval today.

Carisbrook-Dunedin legspinner Rhys Phillips replaces off spinner Nathan McCullum, while top-order batsman Anaru Kitchen has been added to the squad as cover for skipper Hamish Rutherford.

Rutherford was struck by a bouncer during Otago's fixture against Northern Districts earlier this week and suffered a mild concussion.

He has joined the team in Auckland but a decision on whether he plays, and who will captain the side if he is absent, had not been made when the Otago Daily Times contacted coach Nathan King for comment at noon yesterday.

McCullum has signed a short-term contract to play in Pakistan's domestic twenty20 competition and has probably played his last first-class game.

He did not have a huge impact with the ball against Northern Districts but he captained the team when Rutherford was off the field and his experience will be sorely missed.

Phillips is a more attacking bowler, though. He has taken 10 wickets in four games for Otago and gives the ball a rip.

And with the Volts in desperate territory, they will need as many attacking bowlers in the side as they can muster.

"He has shown some really good control in the games that he has played,'' King said.

"He gives it a bit of a rip. I wouldn't say he is a massive turner of the ball but he turns it enough. And he has shown, in his limited opportunities, that he has ability and he has been able to take wickets for us as well.''

Otago's dramatic 61-run win against Northern Districts has seen the team climb one place in the standings into fifth.

But with just 36 points, the Volts need to start making inroads if they are going to claw their way back into contention.

A win against Auckland would help but the Aces (79 points) are at the top of the standings and have been the form team with four wins and a draw from five games.

They smashed Wellington by an innings and 119 runs at Colin Maiden Park earlier this week.

Auckland's batting line-up is under-rated and perhaps has not got the credit it deserves.

Top-order player Robbie O'Donnell is fresh from a big hundred, while opener Michael Guptill-Bunce has scored 369 runs this season and wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Cachopa has been consistent with three half-centuries.

In the bowling department, experienced left-armer Michael Bates has enjoyed some success.

He has picked up 16 wickets at an average of 20.

The 32-year-old is closing in on 200 first-class wickets.

He needs another 10 scalps to reach the milestone.

Three Otago players are nearing milestones as well.

Michael Bracewell, who had been struggling for runs in the Plunket Shield but returned to form with a fine knock of 96 against Northern Districts, is 65 runs away from registering 3000 first-class runs.

All-rounder Jimmy Neesham is poised on 1973 first-class runs and Sam Wells' next wicket will be his 100th.

Brad Wilson has been Otago's best-performed batsman in four-day cricket with 497 runs at an average of close to 50.

Neil Broom missed out in the last match but has been prolific in all three formats and shapes as a key wicket for Auckland.

Twenty-year-old Jack Hunter produced a wonderful spell against Northern Districts and will be looking to build on the promise he has shown.

 


 

Otago v Auckland
Eden Park Outer Oval, today

Otago: Hamish Rutherford (captain), Brad Wilson, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, James Neesham, Derek de Boorder, Sam Wells, Rhys Phillips, Craig Smith, Jacob Duffy, Jack Hunter, Anaru Kitchen, Christi Viljoen.

Auckland: Jeet Raval, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Robbie O'Donnell, Rob Nicol (captain), Brad Cachopa, Colin de Grandhomme, Shawn Hicks, Nathan McAndrew, Donovan Grobbelaar, Tarun Nethula, Michael Bates, Lockie Ferguson.


 

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