The next generation of talent will get the chance to face England Test superstars in a two-day warm-up match at Queenstown’s Sir John Davies Oval this weekend.
The match will serve as preparation for captain Ben Stokes and his side ahead of the three-game ICC World Test Championship series which starts at Hagley Oval next Thursday.
In honour of Prime Minister Luxon attending Sunday’s match, the invitational team, typically referred to as the ‘New Zealand XI’, will be renamed for this occasion to the ‘Prime Minister’s XI’.
The invitational team traditionally plays against inbound international touring teams in warm-up fixtures and is selected from available domestic players.
Experienced Wellington Firebirds batter Troy Johnson will captain the squad hosting a raft of up-and-coming players from across the country.
Four domestic players on first-time contracts in Auckland Cricket’s Angus Olliver, Otago Cricket’s Jamal Todd, and Northern Districts’ Fergus Lellman and Snehith Reddy feature in the squad.
Reddy, a promising 17-year-old allrounder, was New Zealand’s top run-scorer at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in February.
NZC high-performance coaches Bob Carter and Graeme Aldridge will coach the squad.
Carter expects the matches will be a memorable occasion.
“It’s a great experience for these young guys to get to face world-class international cricketers so early on in their careers,” said Carter.
“Not only will it provide learning opportunities but lasting memories.”
NZC CEO Scott Weenink said renaming the invitational XI to the Prime Minister’s XI for this encounter, was a clear nod to the New Zealand Government’s longstanding contributions to cricket.
“This is a mark of NZC’s respect for the office of the government and to really say thank you for the support cricket has received in recent years,” said Weenink.
“In particular, the Covid-19 years when the government worked closely with cricket to ensure we could host incoming touring teams and thus fulfil our broadcast and commercial commitments to stay viable as a business.
“We know Mr Luxon and of course Minister Chris Bishop are big cricket fans and we’re really appreciative of their patronage.”
Luxon shared well wishes to the Prime Minister’s XI squad.
“We know the role that sport plays in our country, and cricket is part of our national fabric. I’m wishing captain Troy Johnson and the Prime Minister’s XI all the best as they take on England,” said Luxon.
Prime Minister’s XI squad
Troy Johnson (C) (Cricket Wellington)
Harjot Johal (Auckland Cricket)
Scott Johnston (Northern Districts)
Hunter Kindley (Otago Cricket)
Fergus Lellman (Northern Districts)
Riley Mudford (Auckland Cricket)
Angus Olliver (Auckland Cricket)
Nikith Perera (Auckland Cricket)
Snehith Reddy (Northern Districts)
Jesse Tashkoff (Cricket Wellington)
Jamal Todd (Otago Cricket)
Yahya Zeb (Cricket Wellington)
Players involved in the current second round of the Plunket Shield were not considered for selection.
The free entry match will be live scored at nzc.nz & the NZC App.
Prime Minister’s XI v England schedule
Day 1 – 11.00am Saturday 23 Nov – Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
Day 2 – 11.00am Sunday 24 Nov - Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
BLACKCAPS v England Tegal Test series schedule
1st Test – Thursday 28 Nov-2 Dec – Hagley Oval, Christchurch
2nd Test – Friday 6-10 Dec – Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
3rd Test – Sat 14-18 Dec – Seddon Park, Hamilton
Broadcast LIVE and free in NZ on TVNZ+ & DUKE, SENZ and The Alternative Commentary Collective.
