New Zealand cricket's next generation of talent will get the chance to face England test stars in a two-day warm-up match at Queenstown’s Sir John Davies Oval this weekend.
The match will serve as preparation for captain Ben Stokes and his side ahead of the three-match ICC World Test Championship series, which starts at Hagley Oval next Thursday.
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In honour of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attending the match, the invitational team, typically referred to as the ‘New Zealand XI’, will be renamed for this occasion to the ‘Prime Minister’s XI’.
The invitational team traditionally plays against inbound international touring teams in warm-up fixtures and is selected from available domestic players.
Experienced Wellington Firebirds batsman Troy Johnson will captain the squad hosting a raft of up-and-coming players from across the country.
Four domestic players on first-time contracts in Auckland’s Angus Olliver, Otago’s Jamal Todd, and Northern Districts’ Fergus Lellman and Snehith Reddy feature in the squad.
Reddy, a promising 17-year-old allrounder, was New Zealand’s top run-scorer at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in February.
NZC high-performance coaches Bob Carter and Graeme Aldridge will coach the squad.
“It’s a great experience for these young guys to get to face world-class international cricketers so early on in their careers,” said Carter. “Not only will it provide learning opportunities but lasting memories.”
PRIME MINISTER'S XI SQUAD
Troy Johnson (captain, Wellington), Harjot Johal (Auckland), Scott Johnston (Northern Districts), Hunter Kindley (Otago), Fergus Lellman (Northern Districts), Riley Mudford (Auckland), Angus Olliver (Auckland), Nikith Perera (Auckland), Snehith Reddy (Northern Districts), Jesse Tashkoff (Wellington), Jamal Todd (Otago), Yahya Zeb (Wellington)
Players involved in the current second round of the Plunket Shield were not considered for selection
PRIME MINISTER'S XI VS ENGLAND SCHEDULE
Day 1: Saturday, November 23, 11am, Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
Day 2: Sunday, November 24, 11am, Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
BLACKCAPS VS ENGLAND SCHEDULE
1st test: November 28-December 2, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
2nd test: December 6-10, Basin Reserve, Wellington
3rd test: December 14-18, Seddon Park, Hamilton