IT'LL all boil down to whether George Worker makes the starting XI for the Black Caps against the Sri Lankans in the fourth ODI in Nelson today.
If the talented left-hander does ask for middle and leg at Saxton Oval then he won't be catching a flight to join the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags in New Plymouth.
CD coach Heinrich Malan said last night it was a day-by-day proposition for Worker who scored a century for the Stags in their 32-run victory over the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve on Thursday.
"[Brendon] McCullum is injured and is still not 100 per cent so it's good for George to get some game between the Black Caps games to keep him ticking over," Malan said as the William Young-captained Stags prepare to host the Otago Volts at Pukekura Park from 11am tomorrow in the third-round match.
CD have a win and a loss on either side of the year in trying to defend the Ford Trophy although the collective will tell you they are trying to win it again to put themselves in the right mind set.
Malan said although Worker might not be playing it was an opportune time for the pool of budding talent in Ben Smith, Young, Tom Bruce and Josh Clarkson to show their quality as he sticks to the same 12 from the previous two rounds.
"That's how our beautiful game works so some of them are due for a few runs."
With the competition offering a start to a new year, it benefited players and teams to make the most of a prosperous feeling.
Malan was happy with the seamers who had little to bowl to in their opening defeat to the Canterbury Kings in the opening match in Napier but showed what they were capable of against the Firebirds after the Stags came up shy of the predicted 300-run total.
With former Black Cap Jesse Ryder scoring 58 runs from 48 balls in the white-ball format after sliding to first drop in the last round, he expected other players to forge partnerships around him.
"he's a world-class performer and fits in very well with the lads," he said, after players family and children joined them yesterday in New Plymouth.
"He's very laid back so it's great to have his calmness on then other side of the ropes."
However, Ryder hadn't recovered enough from his side strain to to bowl just yet although he was rolling his arm in the nets to increase his loads.
Malan was hopeful he would be right for a few overs should the Stags make the cut come playoffs time.
Rain is likely to play a part but Malan was keeping his fingers crossed the weather gods would give the teams a 6 to 7-hour respite.
CD STAGS (from): William Young (c, Taranaki) Ajaz Patel (HB), Tom Bruce (Taranaki) Seth Rance (Wairarapa), Josh Clarkson (Nelson), Jesse Ryder (Wairarapa), Dane Cleaver (wk, Manawatu), Bevan Small (Manawatu), Martin Kain (Nelson), Ben Smith (Wanganui), Andrew Mathieson (HB), Blair Tickner (HB), George Worker (Manawatu).
Coach: Heinrich Malan.
OTAGO VOLTS: Hamish Rutherford (c), Brad Wilson, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Jimmy Neesham, Anaru Kitchen, Derek de Boorder, Sam Wells, Mark Craig, Neil Wagner, Jacob Duffy, Warren Barnes.
Coach: Nathan King.