Cricket: NZC request Bracewell be rested to ease load

Doug Bracewell

Doug Bracewell is out of the Central Districts' Plunket Shield match today in Nelson while batsman Ben Smith is back from a broken foot.

"New Zealand Cricket want us to look after Dougie's load," Devon Hotel CD Stags coach Heinrich Malan said last night of the Black Caps test seamer before they host the Canterbury Kings at Saxton Oval in the four-day match.

CD have called in Dane Cleaver as their No7 batsman but with a dearth of allrounders in the Bracewell and Kieran Noema-Barnett mould will opt for Seth Rance and Ben Wheeler as new-ball merchants, and Andrew Mathieson at first change.

Rookie Blair Tickner will come in if the wicket warrants four seamers, while the other option is to take two spinners in Ajaz Patel and allrounder George Worker's useful part-time deliveries.

David Meiring is out of the equation as CD come off two straight losses after trying to eke out results with bold declarations rather than playing out meaningless draws.

CD are last on the table while the Kings lead after seven rounds.

"Unfortunately we haven't played consistent cricket over the last eight days although we've had good individual performances," Malan said.

He was optimistic that the Kruger van Wyk-captained Stags could muster points in the three remaining games of the competition.