Cricket: Auckland reeling from injury, trio of sackings

The news continues to go from bad to worse for the Auckland one-day side.

Struggling at the foot of the State Shield table with one win from five games, Auckland will field a barely recognisable combination for today's showdown against Central Districts at Eden Park's Outer Oval, following another key injury and a cluster of sackings.

Former international paceman Kerry Walmsley is the latest to join the injured list. A calf strain has forced him to join New Zealand players Scott Styris, Kyle Mills, Lou Vincent and Andre Adams on the sidelines.

The Auckland side underwent further change when the selectors released batsmen Matt Horne, Tim McIntosh and Carl Cachopa to play in Auckland A's three-dayer against Northern Districts A, which began at Devonport yesterday.

Horne and Cachopa had been involved in the Aces' most recent loss against Central Districts at Nelson, while McIntosh remained on the outer after being dropped a couple of weeks before.

The trio have been replaced by North Shore rookie batsman Gene Andrews, Suburbs-New Lynn offspinner Tim Lythe, and New Zealand Under-19 captain Mark Ellison, who appears a likely twelfth-man.

Coach Mark O'Donnell said yesterday that Andrews was a promising right-hander who had put in strong performances at the provincial A level, Lythe was a gutsy slow-bowler who had made headlines through his battle against cancer, and Ellison was one of the country's most promising young batsmen, with "bags" of talent.

"Faced with injury and form issues, we've opted to use the opportunity to develop some of our fringe players," O'Donnell said.

"It's a chance for a couple of them to get a look at what's required at this level, and for the selectors to see them under a wee bit of extra pressure."

O'Donnell said it was hoped that Horne, McIntosh and Cachopa would be able to take advantage of the three-day format and spend some time at the crease for Auckland A, without the limited-over pressure.

As for Walmsley, O'Donnell said the opening bowler's injury was merely the latest in a M*A*S*H-like casualty toll for Auckland, bringing to five the number of frontline players unavailable.

"It's not just the numbers, it's the fact that players like Styris, Mills and Adams are all all-rounders and make a huge difference to the balance of the team when they're there, or when they're not there," he said.

"But these things are sent to challenge us, and it's up to us to work out a way of coming up trumps."

STATE SHIELD FIXTURES

Auckland v CD

Eden Park, today, noon

Auckland: Richard Jones (c), Paul Hitchcock, Martin Guptill, Rob Nichol, Gene Andrews, Tama Canning, Reece Young, Mayu Pasupati, Tim Lythe, Lance Shaw, Chris Martin, Mark Ellison.

CD: Jamie How (c), Geoff Barnett, Ross Taylor, Mathew Sinclair, Jarrod Englefield, Bevan Griggs, Brendon Diamanti, Ewen Thompson, Michael Mason. Lance Hamilton, Greg Hegglun, Brent Hefford.

Others:

Otago v Canterbury, Dunedin.

ND v Wellington, Hamilton.