Cricket: Well-shuffled Auckland side face Wellington

Veteran Auckland opener Richard Jones brings a rich vein of form into today's match. Photo / Brett Phibbs

It will be a much-changed Auckland side who resume their Plunket Shield campaign against Wellington at Colin Maiden Park today.

Putting aside the disappointment of being beaten finalists in both the HRV Cup and one-day competitions, Auckland have a raft of alterations from the shorter formats.

Gone are overseas import Ravi Bopara, internationals Daryl Tuffey, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins and Scott Styris, plus Lou Vincent, who is cutting short his time in Auckland to return to England.

Former international Vincent had hoped to stay until the end of the first-class season, but advised Auckland Cricket chief executive Andrew Eade this week that he is heading back to rejoin his wife and children.

"It was no surprise," Eade said. "There's absolutely no fallout or ill-will. We were delighted to have Lou back. He's made a really important contribution to the one-dayers and the Twenty20."

With regular skipper Hopkins missing for at least this round, last season's captain Richard Jones returns to take charge for the second time this summer.

On the first occasion, also against Wellington in the second round, Jones hit 101, his 16th first-class ton in a career stretching back 16 seasons.

And the veteran opener, not required for the bulk of the Twenty20 and one-dayers, brings a rich vein of form with him now too.

He hit 224 against University Elllerslie a fortnight ago; 177 against Howick Pakuranga and an unbeaten 131 against Wellington A last week.

"It's all right," the laconic Jones said of his batting yesterday. "The proof will be in the pudding. We'll see how it goes."

With Auckland bottom, pointless and out of the running to retain their title, Jones said the goals for the second half of the shield were straightforward.

"The guys have been going well in the one-dayers and Twenty20 so we'll try and take a bit of that momentum. Get up to second or third and it becomes a relatively successful season.

"It's about being as positive as possible, simple as that."

Promising batsman Jeet Raval returns, as do spinners Tarun Nethula and Bhupinder Singh, and fast-medium Gareth Shaw is back, joining brother Lance in the squad.

"Some of these guys are young and fringy, but they need to be sticking their hand up," Jones said.

"There's not a lot of guys pushing to come back, so this is a chance to say actually we don't need those guys. That's the best way to look at it."

Wellington captain Matthew Bell will start the game needing 43 runs to topple Bruce Edgar as the province's alltime leading first-class scorer. Former test opener Edgar made 6494 runs, Bell has 6452.

Wellington have lost young opener Josh Brodie, Mark Gillespie, Dewayne Bowden and Harry Boam to injury.

Leaders Northern Districts play second-placed Canterbury at Rangiora in the game of the round.

Overseas-based Hamish Marshall plays his first first-class game of the season in a team high on confidence after winning the national one-day final.

In the other game starting today, Otago, eight points adrift of ND, host Central Districts in Invercargill.

PLUNKET SHIELD

Sixth round, all start 10.30am today:

Auckland v Wellington, Colin Maiden Park

Auckland: Richard Jones (c), Jeet Raval, Tim McIntosh, Reece Young, Anaru Kitchen, Jimmy Neesham, Andrew de Boorder, Colin de Grandhomme, Tarun Nethula, Lance Shaw, Gareth Shaw, Michael Bates.

Wellington: Matthew Bell (c), Michael Pollard, Cam Merchant, Neal Parlane, Luke Woodcock, Stewart Rhodes, Chris Nevin, Jeetan Patel, Robbie Schaw, Michael Burns, Malaesaili Tugaga, Sunnie Chan.

Canterbury v Northern Districts, Rangiora

Canterbury: Peter Fulton (c), Michael Papps, Rob Nicol, Johann Myburgh, Shanan Stewart, Dean Brownlie, Kruger van Wyk, Brandon Hiini, Logan van Beek, Jason Donnelly, Hamish Bennett, Chris Martin.

Northern Districts: James Marshall (c), BJ Watling, Michael Parlane, Daniel Flynn, Hamish Marshall, Kane Williamson, Joey Yovich, Peter McGlashan, Graeme Aldridge, Brent Arnel, Bruce Martin, Bradley Scott.

Otago v Central Districts, Invercargill

Otago: Craig Cumming (c), Aaron Redmond, Shaun Haig, Neil Broom, Greg Todd, Derek de Boorder, James McMillan, Sam Wells, Anthony Bullick, Warren McSkimming, Nick Beard, Neil Wagner.

CD: Jamie How (c), George Worker, Mathew Sinclair, Brad Patton, Tim Weston, Brendon Diamanti, Bevan Griggs, Doug Bracewell, Seth Rance, Ewen Thompson, Jeremy Kuru, Michael Mason.

Points after five rounds: ND 26, Canterbury 20, Otago 18, CD 16, Wellington 16, Auckland 0.