Cricket: CD out of it but still in, if you get drift

Ben Smith.

They call it playing for pride but, in reality, there's a lot more riding on the two remaining Plunket Shield dead rubbers.

For the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags it is about exposure and tweaking combinations for next summer as they face SBS Bank Otago Volts tomorrow in Dunedin.

CD coach Heinrich Malan is first to agree trying to finish fourth when the last first-class game against the Auckland Aces finishes on April 2 in Napier is imperative.

"We don't want to finish last in any competition," said Malan, before the Stags were scheduled to jet off at 7.50am today.

Having retained the one-day Ford Trophy and coming "within a breath" of making the T20 playoffs, a rash of injuries has hindered CD's shield campaign.

Injured opening batsman Ben Smith returns and Dean Robinson leaves the squad. So does seamer Bevan Small, who Malan wants to see recuperate, physically and mentally after a draining summer.

Seamer Blair Tickner is on bereavement leave. Enter right-arm seamer Ryan Watson, 22, of Taranaki, the highest Furlong Cup wicket taker, although he's likely to be 12th man.

"There's something about him so we'll see what he's about," Malan said of the 22-year-old swing merchant but rain is forecast.

The teams:

CD STAGS: William Young (c, Taranaki), Doug Bracewell (HB), Tom Bruce (Taranaki), Dane Cleaver (wkt, Manawatu), Liam Dudding (HB), Greg Hay (Nelson), Ajaz Patel (HB), Navin Patel (Manawatu), Mitch Renwick (Manawatu), Kurt Richards (HB), Ben Smith (Wanganui), Ryan Watson (Taranaki).
Coach: Heinrich Malan.

OTAGO VOLTS (possible): B Wilson (c), R Duffy, M Bracewell, A Kitchen, J Neesham, D de Boorder (wk), M Craig, C Viljoen, C Smith, J Duffy, J Hunter, B Soper.
Coach: Nathan King.