The Volts have made a dreadful start to the domestic twenty/20 competition, losing their opening four matches.
They must beat Canterbury tonight to retain any hope of reaching the HRV Cup final on January 2. Thankfully, the cavalry has arrived, with the McCullum brothers, Brendon and Nathan, returning from international duty.
Their return will do wonders for the camp. Brendon is an outstanding limited-overs cricketer and Nathan was one of the few players to hit his straps in India recently. Their all-rounder skills will lift Otago but perhaps their biggest impact will be felt in the dressing room.
The team is a little low on confidence after a poor start to the tournament, and if there is one thing the McCullums are not short of it is self-belief.
"Both those guys have had some success in recent times and will certainly bring a lot of confidence," Hesson said.
"Every time they have come back, they have added a whole heap to our group. Their vibrancy and the enthusiasm they bring playing for the Volts is quite infectious. They're both really passionate and that certainly rubs off on the players around them.
"The expectations lift when they are playing and they are just great people to have in the group."
Nothing less than a win will do for Otago tonight. Last year, Auckland reached the final with six wins and Hesson said his side simply could not afford another loss.
"Six wins are certainly the target for us and it starts [tonight]," he said.
Opener Hamish Rutherford makes way for Brendon and can count himself unlucky. He has twice been run out by his opening partner, Aaron Redmond, and probably deserves another opportunity. But with Brendon coming back into the side, there is just no room for the left-hander.
"It is fair to say the top order has not gone as well as we'd like. That certainly hasn't been all Hamish's fault, that's for sure. He has had a bit of bad luck but could certainly come back in later in the competition."
Brendon is still struggling with the back injury he picked up in India and is available on a "game-by-game" basis. So there is every chance Rutherford will get that opportunity.
Experienced seamer Warren McSkimming also drops out of the squad. Hesson said the medium-pacer had a back strain and was not considered.
Canterbury made a good start to the competition with away wins against Wellington and Central Districts but came unstuck against Auckland at the Village Green on Sunday, losing by one run.
South African Johan van der Wath replaces Australian speedster Dirk Nannes in the only change to the side which lost to Auckland.
Netherlands international Ryan ten Doeschate has been the star performer for the Wizards, with 128 runs and five wickets, and fast bowler Richard Sherlock has been effective with the new ball.
Experienced campaigner Shanan Stewart has not made an impact on the tournament yet but remains a threat.
OTAGO v CANTERBURY
- Tonight, Christchurch
• Otago: Aaron Redmond, Brendon McCullum, Neil Broom, Craig Cumming (captain), Darren Stevens, Nathan McCullum, Chris Nash, Derek de Boorder, Ian Butler, Neil Wagner, James McMillan, Nick Beard, Sam Wells.
• Canterbury: Peter Fulton, Michael Papps, Dean Brownlie, Rob Nicol, Shanan Stewart, Ryan ten Doeschate, Reece Young, Andrew Ellis, Carl Frauenstein, Todd Astle, Johan van der Wath, Richard Sherlock, Mitchell Claydon.
