Black Caps primed for mid-week game

The countdown is on for local cricket fans as the Black Caps return to Saxton Oval.

With the test-match series against Bangladesh tied, the two teams returned to New Zealand for three ODI and T20 games in the build-up to New Years, with Nelson hosting the second ODI on Wednesday, 13 December.

With the team winning a rain-affected reduced overs game in Dunedin, with local boy Josh Clarkson making his international debut, the team is primed to put on a show for local fans.. who was named in the 14-man squad ahead of the series.

Josh says it would be a special feeling to play on his home grounds in Nelson and Napier - where he had smashed his match-winning unbeaten century to win the 2023 Ford Trophy Grand Final in March this year.

"I'm absolutely stoked.

"But I think my old man's even more excited than I am."

Tom Latham will lead the squad, which features seven players from the recent ICC Cricket World Cup in India, including breakout star Rachin Ravindra, who finished as the World Cup's fourth-top run scorer with a New Zealand record-equalling 578 runs from 10 innings.

It's been over four years since Saxton Oval last saw international cricket on its grounds when the Black Caps beat England by 14 runs in a T20 in 2019.

New Zealand Cricket's general manager for venues, facilities and events, Graham Parks, says they're delighted to be returning to the region again.

"Led by the Central Districts Cricket Association, there's been great collaboration between a wide range of local stakeholders including Nelson Cricket, Nelson City Council and the Nelson Regional Development Agency to bring international cricket back to the area.

"With the games also broadcast free-to-air on TVNZ channels, it's also a great chance to showcase the region to the rest of the country and the world.

"Games at Saxton Oval have been well supported in the past, and it's great to bring the Black Caps and White Ferns back to such a popular summertime destination."

Local women's cricket fans will have to wait until March to see their team, with two T20 matches scheduled for Friday 22 and Sunday 24 March.