Green Island wicketkeeper Brad Kneebone replaces regular gloveman Max Chu, who had bilateral hip surgery on Monday and will miss the remainder of the season.
Left-arm seamer Thomas O’Connor replaces Andrew Hazeldine, who is being rested, and left-arm spinner Ben Lockrose is preferred ahead of all-rounder Jake Gibson.
Dean Foxcroft will captain in the absence of Chu, who was standing in for the injured Luke Georgeson.
Kneebone previously filled in as a concussion replacement for Chu, but this will be his first start for the province.
He has taken 11 catches and claimed two stumpings for the Swamp Rats this season. The former Northlander has had a lean run with the bat at club level but was the second-leading scorer (455 at 35) last season.
His father, Ross Kneebone, played two list A games for Northern Districts in 1993 and also played Hawke Cup cricket for Northland.
O’Connor, 20, has an excellent pedigree as well. His father, Shayne O’Connor, played 19 tests and 38 ODIs for New Zealand. He was part of the team that won the ICC Knockout tournament — now the ICC Champions Trophy — 25 years ago.
Shayne also forged an impressive provincial career for Otago. He took 160 first-class wickets at an average of 20.75.
These days, Shayne is a match referee and is officiating in the game, so he will be there to see his son make his debut if he makes the starting XI.
Thomas will probably be competing for a spot with Lockrose. The Volts have tended to play a specialist spinner at the venue ahead of a fourth seamer.
But the word is there is plenty of grass on the pitch.
Matt Bacon led the way with the ball against Wellington last week. He has not played a lot of first-class cricket but nabbed a second first-class five-wicket bag.
Jarrod McKay continues to surprise. The right-arm quick is the leading wicket-taker in the competition. He has claimed 21 wickets at 30.24.
Travis Muller went wicketless at the Basin Reserve but is fresh from a recent eight-wicket haul in club cricket.
There is one player in the Central Districts lineup they would like to see the back of quickly.
Stags captain Tom Bruce smashed 345 from 401 balls against Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval last week. It was the third highest first-class score in New Zealand.
He is an obvious threat but Dane Cleaver and Josh Clarkson also posted centuries in that match and opener Curtis Heaphy is having a wonderful summer across all three formats.
Cleaver has been very consistent in the format this season and is averaging 107.50 in five games.
They have some worn-out bowlers, though. The Stags bowled the best part of 200 overs back to back in the search for an outright win against Auckland.
Plunket Shield
Alexandra, 10.30pm
Otago: Dale Phillips, Jacob Cumming, Leo Carter, Dean Foxcroft (captain), Thorn Parkes, Llew Johnson, Brad Kneebone, Ben Lockrose, Travis Muller, Matt Bacon, Jarrod McKay, Thomas O’Connor.
Central Districts: Jack Boyle, Curtis Heaphy, Brad Schmulian, Tom Bruce (captain), Dane Cleaver, Josh Clarkson, Will Clark, Jayden Lennox, Tyler Annand, Ray Toole, Angus Schaw, Toby Findlay.
