Cricket: Martin to make comeback for ND

Spin bowler Bruce Martin will make his long-awaited first-class comeback from injury against Canterbury in the State Championship cricket match against Canterbury in Gisborne next week.

Martin is one of four changes to the Northern Districts squad who won the one-day State Shield final last Saturday.

Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Hamish Marshall and Scott Styris will all be absent on international duty.

BJ Watling, Anton Devcich, Brad Wilson and Martin have been added to the 12-man squad for the championship match which begins on Monday at Harry Barker Reserve.

Martin has had a bad run with injuries. After being invalided out of the New Zealand A tour of South Africa in September with a shoulder injury, he sprained his ankle on playing just one State Shield match this summer.

Coach Bruce Blair said the left-arm spinner would be a welcome addition to his side.

"It's fantastic to have him back ... he's pretty much back to 100 per cent."

Martin was Northern Districts' player-of-the-season last year and is a crucial member of the bowling attack, particularly in the absence of Vettori.

"I expect he is going to be a little bit rusty because he's been out for some time," Blair said.

"But he's still a bowler who can produce wicket balls and we need to get him back and get him going."

Wilson and Devcich made their first-class debuts in the win over Otago in Gisborne last month when both scored half-centuries with 96 and 94 not out respectively.

That win took Northern Districts to second place at the halfway mark of the championship, leading the chasing pack but with Auckland a long way in front.

Allrounder Matthew Hart has been named in the squad, but he is in doubt with a groin injury.

If he missed the game, a likely replacement would be either Daniel Flynn or Grant Robinson, who made a century for Hamilton in a Fergus Hickey match last weekend.

Northern Districts: James Marshall (captain), Brad Wilson, BJ Watling, Alun Evans, Matthew Hart, Joseph Yovich, Anton Devcich, Peter McGlashan, Bruce Martin, Mark Orchard, Te Ahu Davis, Graeme Aldridge.

- NZPA