One eye is still on the white ball for the Otago Volts ahead of the Plunket Shield match against the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve starting on Sunday.
Otago coach Vaughn Johnson has opted to keep two of his strike weapons at home with a view to a busy few weeks ahead.
''We have the one Plunket Shield game before four twenty20 fixtures in November,'' Johnson said.
''We want to start both these competitions strongly so with that in mind have left James McMillan and Nick Beard out of the first four-day game so that they can target the start of our white-ball campaign.''
Bradley Scott is in the squad for the four-day match and, if he makes the starting XI, will be playing his first first-class match for Otago in five years.
The former King's High School pupil returned to Dunedin earlier this year after five seasons playing for Northern Districts..
Jesse Ryder is set to make his debut for Otago after sitting out his six-month ban for a positive drugs test and getting back into training with the squad in the past week.
The Firebirds side is full of international experience, with seven former Black Caps in the side including all-rounder James Franklin, who will captain the side.
The bowling attack features former national seamers Mark Gillespie and Andy McKay, and spinners Jeetan Patel and Luke Woodcock.
Plunket Shield
The teams
Otago: Derek de Boorder (captain), Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Mark Craig, Jacob Duffy, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Iain Robertson, Bradley Scott, Blair Soper, Sam Wells.
Wellington: James Franklin (captain), Brent Arnel, Josh Brodie, Mark Gillespie, Andrew Lamb, Andy McKay, Stephen Murdoch, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Luke Ronchi, Luke Woodcock.
