Cricket: Bowling off agenda but Wilson to play

Jeff Wilson will play as a batsman only during Otago's next two one-day matches.

Wilson missed yesterday's game against Auckland at Alexandra after a hamstring injury flared up while he was bowling against Canterbury last Friday.

Otago coach Glenn Turner confirmed that Wilson, who scored a swashbuckling 86 off 67 balls at No 5 against Canterbury, would play against Northern Districts in Gisborne tomorrow and Central Districts in Masterton on Friday as a specialist batsman.

He replaces Matt Harvie in the only change to the squad of 12.

"Jeff's coming in as a batsman, only he won't be able to bowl," Turner said.

"The injury is apparently not as serious as the initial hamstring strain. He's got a lot more power than he had with the previous one."

There was no projected date by which the former All Black winger might return to the bowling crease.

"We are going to play that one cautiously. And when he does, we will just have to see whether he comes off a shorter run, or whatever."

Injuries have plagued Wilson since his return to cricket after a decade of top-class rugby.

Turner said Wilson's future might be in bowling off a shorter run.

"It may be so, but I don't think Jeff would like to think that.

"It's premature to assume that but it is going through our minds."

- NZPA