KEY POINTS:
Darryl Tuffey, fresh from his first taste of the rebel Indian Cricket League Twenty20 competition, has a big role to play in Auckland's defence of their national one-day title when it starts this weekend.
Tuffey has switched from Northern Districts and it's fitting his first opponents will be ND at Eden Park tomorrow.
With Chris Martin absent on international duty, Tuffey will ensure an experienced new ball operator for Auckland and he's relaxed about what lies ahead.
He said yesterday: "There's no real pressure on me. I just want to go out and bowl well. The ball's been coming out really well."
Tuffey, 29 and with 80 ODIs and 22 tests behind him, has no specific target for wickets in the 10-round State Shield, "but I know if I bowl well I will get wickets".
Tuffey enjoyed his time in the ICL, where he played for the beaten finalists the Chandigarh Lions, alongside fellow former internationals Hamish Marshall and Chris Cairns.
His Indian experience exceeded his expectations. It was better organised than he'd anticipated and the standard of local Indian players also pleasantly surprised him.
Seven of the Auckland XI who beat Otago in a low-scoring final last season by five wickets are back for the opening round, led again by Richard Jones.
Three internationals, Scott Styris, Martin and Lou Vincent, are absent from tomorrow's match - Styris with New Zealand and Vincent, unwanted for the Bangladesh ODI series, is having a short break after being on the road for the last two months.
Auckland have also picked up backup international wicketkeeper-batsman Gareth Hopkins from last summer. They warmed up impressively beating Bangladesh by seven wickets last week.
"It's always hard to make that transition from four-day to one-day but that game just allowed us to get some of those first up glitches out of the way," Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell said.
ND have named a 12 for the first two rounds and give teenager Kane Williamson his chance. Much interest will centre on promising fast-medium Tim Southee, who took six for 68 against Auckland in the last championship round before Christmas.
The shield is split into two parts this season. The first five rounds run until January 13, the second five start on February 6 with the semifinal on February 24 and final on March 2.
STATE SHIELD, FIRST ROUND
AUCKLAND V NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Eden Park, tomorrow
Auckland: Richard Jones (c), Paul Hitchcock, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Rob Nicol, David Houpapa, Colin de Grandhomme, Andre Adams, Reece Young, Greg Morgan, Roneel Hira, Daryl Tuffey.
Northern Districts: James Marshall (c), BJ Watling, Daniel Flynn, Nick Horsley, Kane Williamson, Simon Andrews, Peter McGlashan, Mark Orchard, Tim Southee, Brent Arnel, Graeme Aldridge, Bruce Martin.
OTAGO V CANTERBURY
Alexandra, today
Otago (from): Craig Cumming, Aaron Redmond, Greg Todd, Neil Broom, Alex Gidman, Nathan McCullum or Will Somerville, Marcel McKenzie, Derek de Boorder, Warren McSkimming or Anthony Bullick, Bradley Scott, Nick Turner, Craig Smith.
Canterbury (from): Kruger van Wyk (c), Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart, Andrew Ellis, Chris Harris, Johann Myburgh, Iain Robertson, Hamish Bennett, Ryan Burson, Carl Frauenstein, Brandon Hiini, Corey Anderson.
WELLINGTON V CENTRAL DISTRICTS
Basin Reserve, tomorrow
Wellington (from): M Parlane (c), M Bell, J Ryder, S Fleming, N Parlane, G Elliott, C Nevin, L Woodcock, D Bowden, M Houghton, I O'Brien, C Schreck, S Gellatly, M Burns.
Central Districts (from): B Griggs (c), P Ingram, G Barnett, T Weston, G Hay, B Diamanti, G Worker, T Lythe, M McClenaghan, R Schaw, B Hefford, M Mason, E McInnis.
