Blundell and Bracewell Return as Plunket Shield Enters Final Stretch

The Firebirds will be bolstered by the returns of two BLACKCAPS as Tom Blundell and Michael Bracewell return for Round 7 of the Plunket Shield against Otago.

Blundell, fresh off the BLACKCAPS test series against Australia, will step into the captain’s role as the Firebirds get set to play their final home game of the season, an encounter against Otago that will be pivotal in keeping them in the running to lift the Plunket Shield.

Michael Bracewell returns from a finger issue that has kept him out of the last six weeks of action, having suffered the injury late in the Super Smash in January.

Two other BLACKCAPS, Ben Sears and Rachin Ravindra, are unavailable for selection, with Sears undergoing maintenance after some tough bowling spells against Australia, and Ravindra is scheduled to depart to the IPL in shortly.

With two rounds of four-day cricket left to round out their summer, the Firebirds sit second on the Plunket Shield ladder, with a final-round matchup with the top-of-the-table Northern Districts on the horizon next week.

This fixture at the Cello Basin Reserve will be decisive in setting up the Firebirds’ chase of the Plunket Shield, with up to 20 points on the line over the four-day fixture.

Round 7 of the Plunket Shield will be played at the Cello Basin Reserve from 16-19 March 2024, with play scheduled to begin at 10:30am on each day of the contest. Live scores and streams will be available at scoring.nzc.nz

Wellington Firebirds | Plunket Shield Round 7 | Cello Basin Reserve

Tom Blundell (c) Muhammad Abbas Michael Bracewell Nick Greenwood Nick Kelly Iain McPeake Tim Robinson Gareth Severin Nathan Smith Michael Snedden Logan van Beek Pete Younghusband

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