Several newcomers are on the fringe of Northern Districts selection this summer as the first squad from which a team to attend a pre-season camp at the New Zealand High Performance Centre at Lincoln University has been announced.

Newcomers to the ND scene, Nick Horsley, (returning to ND from Auckland), David Kelly, (formerly Central Districts, now playing in Counties Manukau), and Gareth West, (formerly CD, now based at the Bracewell Cricket Academy at Te Puna) have been included.

Their chance comes as the result of the unavailability of regular players from last season. This has given the ND selectors, Pat Malcon and Bruce Blair, the opportunity to assess the form of both the new players and others such as Grant Robinson, Simon Andrews and Jaden Hatwell who have limited first-class experience.

Players not considered were Scott Styris, Joseph Yovich, James Marshall, and Bruce Martin (all playing club cricket in Sydney); Leighton Hammond (national hockey tournament); Mark Orchard and Gareth Irwin (national indoor cricket commitments).

The final selection will be made after squad practices and fitness testing. The camp is set for October 6-13 and will include games against the NZ Academy, Central Districts and Wellington.

The squad is:

Robbie Hart (captain), Grant Robinson, David Kelly, Nick Horsley, Matthew Hart, Hamish Marshall, Michael Parlane, Jaden Hatwell, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler, Simon Andrews, Graeme Aldridge and Gareth West.

© CricInfo