Another day at the office for Knights

Indications are that the Northern Districts Knights team will be top heavy with run scoring batting potential this season no matter what the Black Caps national selectors reveal next week.
In Whangarei for the first pre-season hit out of the summer, a knock about with the Auckland Aces that will continue at the immaculately prepared Cobham Oval today and tomorrow, the Knights were still able to front with a top order of some substance even without their skipper James Marshall on deck.
The opening slots will be filled by BJ Watling and Cameron Merchant, Michael Parlane will be a formidable first drop batsman, Marshall will bat four and the up-and-coming Kane Williamson is likely to bat at No5.
In the unlikely circumstance that Daniel Flynn is not called back into the Black Caps, the Knights will have a top order line-up that few of their rivals could match.
It might be the bowling attack that will be tested though, especially early in the season, and particularly if Northlander Joseph Yovich struggles to throw off a tailbone injury that has kept him sidelined in Whangarei this week.
But Knights coach Andy Moles reckons his squad is shaping up well, and has the potential to make a real impact this season.
"It is very early days, we are still having a look to see who is in touch and who needs a bit of work. The pre-season games are all about getting players cricket fit and making sure we arrive at the start line ready to go," Moles said.
Yesterday the Aces faced 75 overs and notched up 231 runs and the Knights replied with 184-4, Watling notching up 78 and Parlane 30 in a long spell in the middle.
Tomorrow the Knights will face 100 overs from the Aces and then deliver the same.
It is all friendly fire ahead of the official start to the first-class season in two weeks. Moles was relaxed about the hit outs, but obviously busy assessing all the action as the first championship game against Otago Volts creeps ever closer.
"We're very pleased in the quality of the squad we have assembled, players keep coming through the system like Kane Williamson and Trent Boult who are easily the best under-19 players in the country and at the other end of the experience scale we have Brad Scott and Michael Parlane who will add real gritty big game knowledge to our team," he said.