A New Zealand A team brimming with BLACKCAPS will take on the likes of Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and England Test captain Joe Root in a three-day First-Class match at Cobham Oval in Whangarei starting next Friday.
Wellington Firebirds wicket-keeper Tom Blundell will captain the NZ A side which features nine current BLACKCAPS and 19-year-old rising star Rachin Ravindra.
The match will complete England’s preparations for the upcoming two Test series against the BLACKCAPS which starts on November 21 with Bay Oval’s inaugural Test match at Mount Maunganui.
Selector Gavin Larsen confirmed the warm-up game would carry official First Class status and he expected a high standard of play.
“It’s certainly a star-studded fixture and should prove a great spectacle for the Northland locals,” Larsen said.
“For our boys, it will be a great opportunity to test themselves against some of the very best players in the world.
“We’re really excited by the squad we’ve been able to assemble and believe with the mix of talent and experience they will compete with the English.
“It’ll be a good learning opportunity for Tom as captain and we’re looking forward to seeing how he steps up to the leadership position.”
New Zealand A v England, November 15-17, Cobham Oval
Tom Blundell - Wellington Firebirds (c, wk)
Kyle Jamieson - Auckland Aces
Scott Kuggeleijn - Northern Districts
Daryl Mitchell - Northern Districts
Jimmy Neesham - Wellington Firebirds
Ajaz Patel - Central Stags
Glenn Phillips - Auckland Aces
Rachin Ravindra - Wellington Firebirds
Hamish Rutherford - Otago Volts
Tim Seifert - Northern Districts
Will Somerville - Auckland Aces
Blair Tickner - Central Stags
The England Test squad will begin their red-ball preparation on Tuesday with a two-day warm-up game against a New Zealand XI captained by Canterbury’s Leo Carter.
The side is comprised of players not involved in the third round of the Plunket Shield, which gets underway around the country today.
New Zealand XI v England, November 12-13, Cobham Oval
Leo Carter - Canterbury (c)
Finn Allen - Auckland Aces
Jakob Bhula - Wellington Firebirds
Jack Boyle – Canterbury
Max Chu - Otago Volts (wk)
Jake Gibson – Northern Districts
Scott Johnston - Northern Districts
Ben Lister - Auckland Aces
Ken McClure - Canterbury
Sandeep Patel - Northern Districts
Henry Shipley - Canterbury
Theo van Woerkom - Canterbury
England Test Squad
Joe Root (c)
Jofra Archer
Stuart Broad
Rory Burns
Jos Buttler
Zak Crawley
Sam Curran
Joe Denly
Jack Leach
Saqib Mahmood
Matthew Parkinson
Ollie Pope
Dominic Sibley
Ben Stokes
Chris Woakes
