Otago will be without the services of two experienced campaigners for its crucial game against Central Districts in Palmerston North tomorrow.
Fast bowler James McMillan remains on the injured list.
He picked up a muscle strain last week and missed Otago's 99-run loss to Canterbury in Queenstown. And veteran medium pacer Warren McSkimming is also out.
McSkimming's wife Jodie gave birth to the couple's first child earlier in the week and the new dad is taking the match off.
Craig Smith, who replaced McMillan for the Canterbury match, has retained his place in an unchanged side.
McMillan is expected to play some club cricket today and said his injury was "not what you'd consider serious".
"It may take a week and it may take two or three," he said.
In the absence of McMillan and McSkimming, Smith, a left-armer, will opening the bowling with fellow lefty Neil Wagner.
Wagner conceded 70 runs off his 10 overs in Queenstown but bowled into a stiff breeze and picked up two wickets.
Smith went wicketless but was reasonably economical in the context of the game, going for five and a-half runs an over.
Spin duo Nick Beard and Nathan McCullum will operate in tandem during the middle overs and are bound to keep the run rate in check.
Beard is the most economical bowler in the tournament, going for 3.45 an over, and McCullum (4.15 runs per over) is fourth on the list.
But a lot of pressure will go on the likes of all-rounder Ian Butler and part-time bowlers like Craig Cumming and Aaron Redmond.
Butler was expensive during the twenty/20 campaign, conceding an average of 10.33 runs an over.
And in two one-day games he has taken plenty of punishment, going for 6.6 runs an over.
With Smith inexperienced at this level, the Otago attack has a vulnerable look which Central's powerful batting line-up will be looking to exploit.
George Worker scored 109 at the venue (Fitzherbert Park) on Wednesday and is in good touch, and the old pro Mathew Sinclair is on top of his game with two half-centuries in as many matches.
Central, perhaps, more than any other side in the competition has the ability to find another gear with the bat.
Peter Ingram can be destructive on his day and, with heavy-hitters like Jacob Oram and Kieran Noema-Barnett in the middle order, Central shapes as one of the sides to beat.
Otago coach Mike Hesson shrugged off criticism his side has played some poor limited-overs cricket this summer.
The Volts failed to win a match in the twenty/20 competition.
"It is far too early to say we haven't had a very good limited-overs season because we are two games into an eight round competition.
"Things did not work out as well as we would have liked [in the HRV Cup]. We started poorly and then spent two weeks watching [it rain] and weren't able to put things right.
"Our focus is the one-day competition and we are right in the mix with one win and one loss and we have to make sure we get it right in the next game."
Otago v CD
Palmerston North, tomorrow
- Otago: Aaron Redmond, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Craig Cumming (captain), Darren Broom, Nathan McCullum, Ian Butler, Derek de Boorder, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, Craig Smith, Sam Wells.
- Central Districts: Peter Ingram, George Worker, Jamie How, Mathew Sinclair, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Jacob Oram, Tim Weston, Kruger van Wyk, Doug Bracewell, Michael Mason, Mitchell McClenaghan, Tarun Nethula, Adam Milne.
