Northern Districts are confident of a competitive start to the cricket season, with James Pamment pleased with the preparation the team have put in during the off-season.  Heading to Hagley Oval to take on Canterbury in the opening round of the First Class tournament, the Northern Districts have named a strong side, even though they are missing eight players presently touring with the Blackcaps.   

The work put into the Northern Districts spring camp has given Pamment confidence that the team is well prepped to play, despite inclement weather interfering with their preparation, saying "the final preparation has finished outstandingly well over the past week. The players are very well conditioned and have put more guided hours into their skill development than in previous years. We have been fortunate to get some excellent time on very good grass surfaces over the recent weeks at the Bay Oval. Both the nets and the centre wicket have been ideal for our transition to competitive play.  We are so very fortunate to have The Bay Oval in our region.  The facilities and the staff there have been first class."

Northern Districts came away with a draw in March when they last faced Canterbury at Hagley Oval, and Pamment is looking forward to another challenging game, saying "The first game will be tough. Canterbury at Hagley are always a tough nut to crack but we will take confidence from our last outing there and we will look to start with a positive performance."

Northern Districts team to play Canterbury:

• Daniel Flynn (C), Bay of Plenty

• James Baker, Hamilton

• Dean Brownlie, Bay of Plenty

• Joe Carter, Bay of Plenty

• Zak Gibson, Waikato Valley

• Tony Goodin, Bay of Plenty

• Nick Kelly, Counties Manukau

• Scott Kuggeleijn, Hamilton

• Daryl Mitchell, Hamilton

• Bharat Popli, Bay of Plenty

• Tim Seifert, Waikato Valley

• Josef Walker, Hamilton

Round 1 of the Plunket Shield starts at 10.30am tomorrow (Saturday 22 October) at Hagley Oval and is free entry.