New Zealand: Conference teams tussle for final play-off spots (23 November 1998)
Conference final venues hinge on the results of the final round of the four-team series starting today, with unbeaten Southern against Northern, at Lincoln Green, and Central playing Pakistan A, at Blenheim
23-Nov-1998
23 November 1998
New Zealand: Conference teams tussle for final play-off spots
The Christchurch Press
Conference final venues hinge on the results of the final round of
the four-team series starting today, with unbeaten Southern against
Northern, at Lincoln Green, and Central playing Pakistan A, at
Blenheim.
The Southern side has already secured a place in the final, but it
will not be played in the South Island because all the round-robin
matches have been played on the east coast from Timaru to Blenheim.
Wellington and Auckland will host the play-offs, where first meets
second and third plays fourth, and they will be allocated depending
on final placings. Any one of the other three teams could still fill
second place, but Central is favoured, trailing Southern by just two
points.
If possible, Northern will play at Eden Park's outer oval, and
Central at the Basin Reserve, with the weather expected to be more
settled by the first week in December.
Southern will seek to carry on its winning way against Northern,
which in turn is wanting to strike back after the disappointment of
its abandoned match against Pakistan A and double batting
capitulation against Central last week.
Southern, on its policy of the first two matches, is likely to rest a
pace bowler from this game, and if the rotation is continued, Geoff
Allott will step down.
Northern has its pace bowling line-up bolstered by the inclusion of
Cantabrian Shane Bond for the injured Kerry Walmsley, while interest
will focus on whether swing bowler Simon Doull, troubled by a
hamstring injury in the match against Central, gets through the game.
Northern could also seek to strengthen its batting and include
another top-order batsman after its failures against Central.
Central coach Denis Aberhart wants his team to continue in the vein
it finished against Northern. Pakistan A is more of a known quantity
now and is capable of testing the home team, on what is expected to
be an excellent batting surface. Central has also been rotating its
quicker bowlers, so Robert Kennedy may be rested, allowing David
Sewell back in.
The matches are the last chance for players to impress the national
selectors before the New Zealand A team is named to play Pakistan A.
Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)