An outright win against South Canterbury and a North Otago loss against Mid Canterbury are needed this weekend to ensure Otago Country stays in the running for a Hawke Cup challenge.
If those two results occur then the home side will look to other results later in the year to go its way for a chance to top the Southern zone and play for the highly regarded regional cup.
Otago Country has had mixed results this season with a first-innings loss to Southland in Invercargill, an outright win against Mid Canterbury in Ashburton and a 65-run outright loss to North Otago.
The task will be made tougher in this match with coach Andy Sainsbury overseas.
That loss means Queenstown batsman Fraser Wilson assumes a player-coach role. He has named a side which features few changes from previous matches, the only exception being the inclusion of Michael Williams, a former Otago age-grade cricketer, who will play his first Hawke Cup match this season.
Batsmen Liam Cotton, Henry Burns and Wilson have all got decent scores this season and all-rounder Sean Windle has been good with the bat in the lower order.
Sam Blakely will spearhead the bowling attack along with Kieran Parker. Youngster Blake Buttar-Scurr has made an excellent fist of his first season with the side, too, and will be one to watch in this game.
Play starts today at 10.30am at Molyneux Park in Alexandra.
Otago Country team
to play South Canterbury
Liam Cotton, Henry Burns, Michael Goldstein, Fraser Wilson, Jarred Andrew, Kyle Paterson, Michael Williams, Blake Buttar-Scurr, Mark Knox, Sean Windle, Kieran Parker, Sam Blakely.
