Wellington Firebirds wicket-keeper Tom Blundell will captain an NZ A side brimming with BLACKCAPS to take on the likes of Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and England Test captain Joe Root in a three-day First-Class match at Cobham Oval in Whangarei starting next Friday.

Fellow Firebirds Jimmy Neesham and 19-year-old rising star Rachin Ravindra are also included in a strong squad likely to provide an early test for the tourists.

The match will complete England’s preparations for the upcoming two Test series against the BLACKCAPS which starts on November 21 with Bay Oval’s inaugural Test match at Mount Maunganui.

Selector Gavin Larsen confirmed the warm-up game would carry official First Class status and he expected a high standard of play.

“It’s certainly a star-studded fixture and should prove a great spectacle for the Northland locals,” Larsen said.

“For our boys, it will be a great opportunity to test themselves against some of the very best players in the world.

“We’re really excited by the squad we’ve been able to assemble and believe with the mix of talent and experience they will compete with the English.

“It’ll be a good learning opportunity for Tom as captain and we’re looking forward to seeing how he steps up to the leadership position.”

New Zealand A v England, November 15-17, Cobham Oval

Tom Blundell - Wellington Firebirds (c)

Kyle Jamieson - Auckland Aces

Scott Kuggeleijn - Northern Districts

Daryl Mitchell - Northern Districts

Jimmy Neesham - Wellington Firebirds

Ajaz Patel - Central Stags

Glenn Phillips - Auckland Aces

Rachin Ravindra - Wellington Firebirds

Hamish Rutherford - Otago Volts

Tim Seifert - Northern Districts

Will Somerville - Auckland Aces

Blair Tickner - Central Stags

The England Test squad will begin their red-ball preparation on Tuesday with a two-day warm-up game against a New Zealand XI which includes Wellington Firebirds batsman Jakob Bhula. 

The side is comprised of players not involved in the third round of the Plunket Shield, which gets underway around the country today.

New Zealand XI v England, November 12-13, Cobham Oval

Leo Carter - Canterbury (c)

Jack Boyle - Canterbury

Jakob Bhula - Wellington Firebirds

Ken McClure - Canterbury          

Finn Allen - Auckland Aces               

Sandeep Patel - Northern Districts  

Henry Shipley - Canterbury   

Theo van Woerkom - Canterbury

Max Chu - Otago Volts (wk)             

Jake Gibson – Northern Districts

Scott Johnston - Northern Districts

Ben Lister - Auckland Aces

Article added: Friday 08 November 2019