Auckland have made two changes to their side, bringing in batsman Craig Cachopa and fast Bowler Dean Bartlett for their second round Plunket Shield game against Northern Districts starting tomorrow at Eden Park Outer Oval.
The pair replace Chris Martin, who has flown out to Sri Lanka to join theBlack Caps, and Anaru Kitchen, who broke a finger in Auckland's four-wicket loss to Central Districts during the week.
The match is also a significant occasion for the fact it marks the return of the Aces to their home at Eden Park after three seasons playing at Colin Maiden Park.
Aces coach Paul Strang said he wanted his side to bounce back from the loss to CD.
"The last game was disappointing because we showed a huge amount of fight and determination on that last day but we'd just put ourselves too far behind the game to come out with a win. I think it was good though to remind the guys of what it will take to win four day games and we're really looking forward to coming back to our home at Eden Park and making it a hard place for teams to come and get points," Strang said.
Auckland: (from) Gareth Hopkins (Captain), Dean Bartlett, Michael Bates, Craig Cachopa, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim McIntosh, Bruce Martin, Colin Munro, Bhupinder Singh, Lou Vincent, Reece Young
