Date-stamped : 12 Sep97 - 10:07
Country Districts players selected
By Robson Sharuko

At least seven players who have featured for Zimbabwe in Test matches and
one-day internationals have been included in the Country Districts team for
the one-day match against New Zealand at Harare South today.

The Country Districts team that blends experience and youth have in their
ranks captain Glen Bruk-Jackson, national team skipper Alistair Campbell,
all-rounder Guy Whittall and medium-pace bowler Charlie Lock, who have Test
experience.

All-rounders Craig Evans, Dirk Viljoen and John Rennie, who have all played
for Zimbabwe in one-day internationals, have also been included in the
Country Districts team.

But those keen to catch the eye of the selectors will be left-handed
batsmen Viljoen, who captained the Zimbabwe XI in the Zone Six one-day
tourney in Harare last month, and top-order batsman Gavin Rennie. The two
have been knocking on the door for first team places for some time.

With the position of Grant Flower's opening partner up for grabs, the two
youngsters will want to be among the runs tday. A good performance with the
bat today followed by another in Mashonaland's three-day game against the
Kiwis at Alex Sports Club tomorrow might persuade the selectors to include
them as Flower's partner in the Tests.

Finding the ideal partner for the gritty Flower at Test level has been a
problem for Zimbabwe. More often than not, it has been the team's Achilles
heel with the number three batsman exposed to the new ball early in the
innings. Experiments with both Stuart Carlisle and Mark Dekker have failed
to find the ideal partner.

Leg-spinner Adam Huckle, who had a stint with Eastern Transvaal in the
Currie Cup while studying in South Africa, has been included in the Country
Districts squad.

With a fairly strong middle-order, what should worry the Districts is the
lack of a strike bowler. Although Lock has played Test cricket, he is no
Eddo Brandes or Heath Streak. But they have the nagging John Rennie, who is
capable of moving the ball into and away from the batsman.

Experienced Kiwi batsman, Chris Cairns, who hit 157 in the first one-day
game against Kenya, is the one to watch today. He will be hoping to
continue his fine form with the bat.

The Kiwis might be missing opener Bryan Young and their best bowler Simon
Doull but they still remain a force as they have brought players capable of
filling the voids left by the duo.

With the likes of teenage spin bowler Daniel Vettori having already
established themselves in the senior team, the spotlight will fall on the
other young debutants, Craig McMillan, Paul Wiseman and Shayne O'Connor.

O'Connor, a left-arm fast-medium opening bowler, has shown a lot of promise
and his inclusion in the team will put pressure on fellow bowler Andrew
Penn to fight for a place in the team.

The Kiwis, who flew into Harare on Wednesday, trained at Alex Sports Club
yesterday


Teams

Zimbabwe Country Districts
G Bruk-Jackson (capt), C Kok, D Viljoen, C Lock, J Oates, C Evans, G
Rennie, J Rennie, G Whittall, A Campbell, A Huckle.  12th man - T Bartlett


New Zealand (from)
S Fleming (capt), N Astle, C Cairns, H Davis, C Harris, M Horne, G Larsen,
C McMillan, S O'Connor, A Parore, B Pocock, D Sewell, C Spearman, D
Vettori, P Wiseman.

Source:: The Herald

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