Bracewell will head into the match sitting on 199 first-class wickets for the Stags and his return softens the blow of losing strike bowler Seth Rance to injury during the team's impressive fifth-round win over the Wellington Firebirds on Sunday.

Brad Schmulian, Ben Smith and spinner Jayden Lennox also join the squad in place of Ross Taylor and Will Young (BLACKCAPS ODI Series v Bangladesh) and spinner Ajaz Patel who is awaiting the birth of his first child.

Unbeaten Canterbury has 80 points from four outright wins and a draw - heading into the sixth round with a big 32-point lead over the nearest challenger, Northern Districts (48 points).

However, the hosts in Rangiora will have a nervous red and black eye on the Stags who sit on 43 points, with the two teams scheduled to meet twice in the last three rounds of the summer. 

With a maximum of 20 points available per match - and the Stags coming off an impressive 16-point victory on Sunday - winning against the Firebirds despite having been sent in on a greentop - the Central men have the capability to close the gap on the leaders at the top of the table, and will be playing the injury-hit Otago Volts in between, in Dunedin.

The match at Mainpower Oval begins at 10.30am and is free admission, livescored and live-streamed at https://scoring.nzc.nz/centraldistricts

ROUND 6 of 8 v CANTERBURY
Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
 
10.30am 19-22 March 2021
Admission: free

Greg Hay (c) — Nelson
Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay
Tom Bruce — Taranaki
Josh Clarkson — Nelson
Dane Cleaver (w)  — Manawatu
Joey Field — Hawke’s Bay
Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay
Ben Smith — Whanganui
Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay
Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay
Ray Toole  — Manawatu
George Worker — Manawatu

Coach: Aldin Smith