Black Caps allrounder Jacob Oram has been ruled out of Central Districts State Championship cricket match against Auckland starting tomorrow.
Oram was sidelined from the four-day match to rest a niggling back strain, but Central Districts coach Graham Barlow told the Dominion Post Oram was in no danger of missing
the three one-day matches against the World Invitation 11 starting on January 22.
Barlow said the towering cricketer was omitted from the top-of-the-table clash at Eden Park tomorrow for precautionary reasons.
Oram left the field for treatment after bowling five overs in Central Districts eight-wicket State Shield win over Wellington last Sunday, but Barlow said the injury was minor and flared up every four-to-five weeks.
"He's still a bit sore, so we won't risk it.
"It's a muscle thing but I don't think it's anything more than that," Barlow said.
Central suffered a further blow yesterday with former Black Caps medium pacer Michael Mason ruled out of the Auckland game with a side strain.
Mason is to have a bone-scan today to ensure the injury is not more sinister and is likely to miss Central Districts next championship match away to Canterbury from January 21-24.
"He's had the side strain for a long time and has just aggravated it a bit.
"We just want to make sure there's nothing else wrong and hope he'll be fit for the (January 28 resumption of the State Shield) one-dayers," Barlow said.
Long-serving opener Peter Ingram, fresh from a big hundred for Central A in Lincoln last week, and medium-pacer Brent Hefford have been recalled.
Teams: Central Districts: Glen Sulzberger (captain), Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair, Jarred Englefield, Ross Taylor, Bevan Griggs, Ewan Thompson, Andrew Schwass, Regan West, Lance Hamilton, Brett Hefford (one to be omitted).
Auckland: Brooke Walker (captain), Richard Jones, Matt Horne, Lou Vincent, Rob Nicol, Aaron Barnes, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Reece Young, Andre Adams, Paul Hitchcock, Kerry Walmsley, Keely Todd.
- NZPA
