Cricket: Vincent to prop up strugglers

Lou Vincent fractured a finger. Picture / Nigel Marple

Auckland's one-day squad received a rare piece of good news yesterday when international Lou Vincent was cleared to play in today's showdown against Otago.

One of New Zealand's better top-order batsmen this season, Vincent has been sidelined since the final one-dayer against Sri Lanka at Napier, when he fractured a finger in the field.

Since then, Auckland have scored a rare win over Northern Districts in the fourth round and scrambled a tie against the same opponents last Sunday, but otherwise have been left reeling by a succession of injuries and defeats.

Vincent's return will ease some of that concern today, although there will be little let-up for a side who are still without New Zealand all-rounders Andre Adams and Kyle Mills, and former test paceman Kerry Walmsley.

To complicate matters, New Zealand Under-19 batsman Martin Guptill is unavailable because of a practice match, Scott Styris remains a batting proposition only and will not be called on to bowl, and fellow all-rounder Tama Canning faces a fitness test this morning on his strained right shoulder.

Auckland have won only two State Shield matches in their past 17 outings, but coach Mark O'Donnell said the patched-up squad had learned some harsh lessons and were showing signs of progress in last weekend's tie against Northern.

"We sort of had the initiative in that game, then we lost it, then we got it again, and in the end made a couple of fatal errors right on the wire that left us with a tie," said O'Donnell.

"But we had far more positive things to take out of that contest and we're hopeful of building on that against Otago."

O'Donnell said Canning, who bowled just five overs in the match against Northern, would test his injured shoulder in the nets this morning, but hinted that he would play, even if restricted solely to batting duties.

In contrast to Auckland, Otago have enjoyed a strong one-day campaign to date, and start today's match in second position on the table, three points adrift of leaders Central Districts, after posting a four-win, two-loss record.

Otago scored an impressive six-wicket win over Wellington in their last outing, and were desperately unlucky to lose their previous game to Canterbury on a Duckworth-Lewis calculation, after amassing 293 batting first.

Coach Michael Hesson has named an unchanged Otago squad to play Auckland. In other matches today, Wellington will host Canterbury, and Northern Districts will host Central Districts.

Fixtures

* Auckland V Otago, Eden Park Outer Oval

Auckland: Richard Jones (c), Paul Hitchcock, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Tama Canning, Rob Nicol, Gene Andrews, Reece Young, Tim Lythe, Mayu Pasupati, Lance Shaw, Chris Martin.

Otago: Craig Cumming (c), Chris Gaffaney, Aaron Redmond, Jonathan Trott, Neil Broom, Gareth Hopkins, Jordan Sheed, Nathan McCullum, Warren McSkimming, Bradley Scott, James McMillan.

* Wellington v Canterbury, Basin Reserve

* Northern v Central, Hamilton