KEY POINTS:
Auckland captain Richard Jones is looking forward to a fired-up Chris Martin leading his bowling attack when their national championship programme resumes against Otago at Eden Park today.
Martin's high-profile omission from the New Zealand team for the West Indies series is good news for Auckland, but Jones has some sympathy for the fast-medium bowler labelled the best in the country by national captain Dan Vettori this week.
"Obviously it's disappointing whenever you miss out on any team and he'll be pretty fired up to get among the wickets," Jones said.
The pitch is adjacent to that used for Auckland's State Championship game against Wellington late last month and their game against the West Indies last weekend. Combined, those games produced 1992 runs and 25 wickets - an average of 79 runs for every wicket taken. Jones said he hoped today's pitch would have more bounce to keep it interesting for the fast-medium bowlers.
Auckland have brought English professional Steven Croft and NZ ODI player Scott Styris back into their 12 from the side which drew with the West Indies.
Otago are without new ball bowler Neil Wagner, who is in South Africa for his brother's wedding, and Hamish Rutherford has been dropped, Warren McSkimming and Aaron Redmond take their places.
Meanwhile, Jones is hoping his highest first-class score is not rubbed out by the boffins. During Auckland's game with the West Indies, opener Tim McIntosh left before the final day to join the New Zealand team. Bowler Lance Shaw came in as 12th man and had a bowl late in the last session.
Jones cleared it with the umpires and the West Indians, but there are suggestions using Shaw might have meant the first-class status of the match is in jeopardy. As he made 201, Jones hopes that doesn't happen. He'd taken a step in good faith.
"There had been precedents set. I checked with the umpires and they said fine so I'd be pretty disappointed and I'm sure Gareth Hopkins [who scored 103 not out] would be too."
The other two fourth round games began yesterday, ND hosting Canterbury and Wellington playing CD in the capital.
Championship points: Central Districts 24, Wellington 17, Auckland 9, Otago 4, Canterbury and ND 0.
The teams
Auckland v Otago
Eden Park, 10.30am today
Auckland: Richard Jones (c), Martin Guptill, Reece Young, Scott Styris, Gareth Hopkins, Steven Croft, Colin de Grandhomme, Tarun Nethula, Daryl Tuffey, Michael Bates, Andy McKay, Chris Martin (one to be omitted).
Otago: Craig Cumming (c), Aaron Redmond, Shaun Haig, Greg Todd, Neil Broom, Nathan McCullum, Derek de Boorder, Ian Butler, Mat Harvie, James McMillan, Craig Smith, Warren McSkimming (one to be omitted).
