Cricket: Sodhi to boost Knights

The Northern Knights' BJ Watling will be on board for today's match against the Central Stags.

The Northern Knights will need to graft a fervent bowling attack if they are to find any snags in the Central Stags tight top order at Cobham Oval today.

The last time the two sides met, at Pukekura Park last Wednesday, 31 sixes were smashed, the Stags beating the Knights by 81 runs.

Managing just one win in their five Ford Trophy matches this summer, the one-day format has eluded the Northern side. However, there is reason to suggest their limp is justified.

With four frontline bowlers (Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi) all on Black Caps duty for that fixture, and Scott Kuggeleijn out injured with a sidestrain, it was always going to be tough for the Knights bowlers to deal with a talent-laden Stags batting lineup.

"Their top four is very prolific ... we're going to have to be disciplined," Northern Knights coach James Pamment said about today's outing.

Ringing in one change for the round six encounter in Whangarei, the Knights will welcome back spinner Sodhi who comes into the side in favour of Northland seamer Cody Andrews.

"It'll be great to see him out there," Pamment said.

"There's no hiding the fact we have a very fresh seam bowling attack [but] the group we've got are all good, hard bowlers," he added of the absence of experience in the pace sector.

Pamment's side for today is one of comprehensible nature, and will need to "adapt to the conditions and the wicket the best", in order to better the win-to-loss ratio.

Today's Ford Trophy fixture gets under way at 11am at Whangarei's Cobham Oval.

Northern Knights side to play Central Stags:

Daniel Flynn (C), James Baker, Jono Boult, Dean Brownlie, Joe Carter, Anton Devcich, Tony Goodin, Brett Hampton, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, BJ Watling.