Horne laid low with viral infection

After a few hours in hospital including some time on a drip, Matt Horne has been left to contemplate what might have been.

Looking forward to continuing the form that catapulted him into the record books on Monday at Eden Park, and remind the national selectors what they are missing, Horne will instead sit out Auckland's last round-robin State Championship match against Central Districts, starting today, because of a suspected viral infection.

"I'm not enjoying it. I can't sleep, can't eat and I'm aching and constantly dehydrated," said Horne. "I felt run down on Monday. My flatmate, who is a nurse, said I needed to get to hospital. You want to keep playing but your body says you can't."

In Horne's absence, Mark O'Donnell, Auckland's coach, has recalled Sam Whiteman to the team for the match, in which Auckland must take the maximum eight points and hope results in other games go their way if they are to progress further. "We want to finish the season strongly," said O'Donnell. "We have to worry about our game and not be too concerned about what's happening elsewhere."

O'Donnell is looking to his four batsmen at the top of the order to score much-needed runs. "They haven't been doing it this season," he said. "It is a huge opportunity for players like Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Tim McIntosh and Rob Nicol to show they are capable of a big score."

Central Districts have the same 12 who lost in under three days, and by 231 runs, to Wellington in the last round. Wellington, at home to Otago, lead the championship race with 23 points - one ahead of Canterbury, who meet Northern Districts at Gisborne needing only two points to end Auckland's slim hopes. Otago, on 19 points, could make the final if they beat Wellington outright and have other results go their way.

ND have an added incentive: unless someone scores a century, they face the prospect of being the first ND team in 19 years to complete their first class programme without any player reaching three figures. They have kept the same 12, but have Jamie Lee on standby if Grant Robinson fails a fitness test.