Jeff Wilson looking to be back in action by weekend

Jeff Wilson's readiness for the forthcoming first-class season in New Zealand has been hampered by niggling injuries. However, Otago coach Glenn Turner believes Wilson will be back in action at the weekend and ready for the forthcoming summer.

The former All Black, who had a subdued return to first-class cricket last summer, has been troubled with the niggles one of which, different to usual, prevented him batting rather than bowling. Turner said Wilson had been bowling up to 20 overs a day and in one match against Canterbury during the warm-up week at the High Performance Centre at Lincoln University, Wilson took three wickets as Canterbury were dismissed for 164.

The Otago players have been having a reasonable build-up this year, and next week have a four-day trial match in Dunedin against Otago A. It starts on Sunday. The teams are made up of mainly contracted players in the Probables, and Second XI and Development players in the Possibles. Simon Andrews from Northern Districts has been included in the match due to the unavailability of James McMillan.

The teams for the game at the University Oval are:

Probables: Craig Cumming (capt), Muhammad Wasim, Chris Gaffaney, Robert Lawson, Marcel McKenzie, Jordan Sheed, Gareth Hopkins, Nathan Morland, Warren McSkimming, Jeff Wilson, Simon Andrews, David Sewell.

Possibles: Jonathan Homer, Shaun Haig, Brad Sutherland, Andrew Hore (capt), Sam Wells, Darin Smith, Anthony Wilkinson, Nathan McCullum, Mark Joyce, Hayden Finch, Neil Rushton.