Cricket: CD opening batsman Greg Hay joins NZ XI to face England at Seddon Park, Hamilton

CD Stags opener Greg Hay has a gritty resolve to occupy the crease in the red-ball format so a New Zealand XI call-up comes as no surprise. Photo/Duncan Brown

Central Districts Stags opener Greg Hay is in the New Zealand XI side to play in the two-day, red-ball international match against England in Hamilton today.

Hay, who is in a purple patch after back-to-back centuries in domestic cricket, received a call from the national selectors on Wednesday.

"He's obviously had three or four good seasons ... to play against decent opposition who have up to 800 to 900 test wickets," CD coach Heinrich Malan said of Hay who racked up his 13th first-class century last week.

His call-up adds to six CD players in the two matches (pink ball ending today) at Seddon Park this week.

The 33-year-old from Nelson joins George Worker, of Manawatu, Seth Rance, of Wairarapa, Ben Wheeler, of Blenheim, Doug Bracewell, of Napier, and Ajaz Patel, of Auckland, in the NZ XI equation as warm-up matches before the Black Caps host the tourists in New Zealand's historic day-night test at Eden Park, Auckland, starting on Thursday next week.

Hay adopts a gritty mentality of digging his toes in to frustrate bowlers in the longer format but England will test his resolve.

"He's obviously been a red-ball player for us for a couple of seasons. He's worked really, really hard to find his way of playing ... so it's good to see someone putting the numbers up on the board and his opening role has been given recognition," Malan said.

Malan said Patel was of a similar ilk as a persistent performer to earn his stripes against overseas opposition.

While Rance rated himself as a white-ball exponent, the coach said he had picked up eight wickets in a pink-ball match for CD.

"He's come along in leaps and bounds over the years in white-ball stuff so it'll be good to see him more consistent in all three formats."

Bracewell also endured some hardships and was in an ideal position to reinforce his well-documented abilities.

Sticking to what you know, he said, often paid dividends so it would be interesting to see how Hay fared.

However, left-hand opener Worker hasn't played because he is nursing a hamstring injury. Wheeler also won't be in the competition-defining CD v Wellington Firebirds round eight, first-class Plunket Shield match starting tomorrow at the Basin Reserve because of a back niggle.