Three Bay of Plenty cricketers have forced their way into the the 15-strong New Zealand A squad for a winter training camp ahead of August's emerging players tournament in Brisbane.
Seam bowlers Graeme Aldridge and Trent Boult and former Black Caps top order batsman Daniel Flynn will feature in the tournament,which starts in early August.
The other three teams in the tournament are the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and emerging cricket teams of South Africa and India.
The tournament will now see the teams completing a round of three-day matches to determine the winner. Previous tournaments have featured Twenty20 and 50-over matches but the participating nations felt the longer version was more beneficial for overall development.
"We have taken the opportunity to reward the performance of some more experienced players while providing an opportunity for some young talent who will be important to New Zealand's future," national selection manager Mark Greatbatch said.
"A training camp prior to the EPT will give the players an opportunity to settle into their roles and develop skills at their pace.
Allrounder Ben Wheeler, 20, is the only fresh face in the squad.
Wheeler, who plays for Central Districts, graduated from under-19 ranks to make his first class debut against Auckland in March last year.
The New Zealand team will assemble for their training camp in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast on July 18 before heading to Brisbane on July 26 for the emerging players tournament.
New Zealand A squad for winter training and the emerging players tournament: Graeme Aldridge, Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Neil Broom, Dean Brownlie, Derek de Boorder, Daniel Flynn, Anaru Kitchen, Bruce Martin, Andy McKay, BJ Watling, Ben Wheeler, Brad Wilson and Luke Woodcock.
Tournament schedule:
Round one (August 1-3): AIS v New Zealand, South Africa v India.
Round two (August 6-8): AIS v South Africa, New Zealand v India.
Round three (August 11-13): AIS v India, New Zealand v South Africa.
