Wellington’s latest new talent Finn Allen is in-line to make his Firebirds debut when Plunket Shield cricket returns tomorrow.

The 21-year-old batsman has been selected in Wellington’s 12-man squad for the opening round of action against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve.

Allen, who made the move South from Auckland during the winter, is the standout addition to an otherwise settled squad that lifted the Shield in March.

BLACKCAPS wicketkeeper Tom Blundell will take the gloves for the Firebirds – fellow BLACKCAP Jimmy Neesham is unavailable due to IPL commitments.

Hamish Bennett, Ollie Newton, Logan van Beek and Iain McPeake provide depth in the pace bowling department, while there are plenty of spin options too with captain Michael Bracewell, young-gun Rachin Ravindra and Peter Younghusband all included. Ben Sears is unavailable for the first round of matches.

Firebirds head coach Glenn Pocknall said he was excited for the new season to finally get underway.

“The first match of the season is always an exciting time of the year and we are looking forward to putting the months of planning and preparation into action,” he said.

“This winter has been one like no another and I’m proud of the commitment and passion our guys have shown to get to this point, we’re now looking to go out and enjoy it.”

Play gets underway from the Basin Reserve in Wellington at 10.30am tomorrow – spectator entry is free.

Wellington Firebirds squad | Plunket Shield | Round One v Canterbury

Michael Bracewell (c)

Finn Allen

Hamish Bennett

Tom Blundell

Devon Conway

Andrew Fletcher

Jamie Gibson

Iain McPeake

Ollie Newton

Rachin Ravindra

Logan van Beek

Peter Younghusband

Article added: Sunday 18 October 2020