The Ford Trophy, 2019-20: Match 14, Wellington vs Otago – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 14th match of the Ford Trophy 2019-20 will be played between Wellington and Otago at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln.

The match starts at 11:00 AM local time (10:00 PM GMT – Prev Day) (3:30 AM IST).

Preview:

The defending champions Wellington team had an interesting start to the season as they bounced back with consecutive wins after losing to Auckland. However, on Wednesday, the Central Districts successfully defended 251 against Wellington. Hence, they will be hoping to finish the first half of the Ford Trophy 2019-20 with a comfortable win against Otago. Both the teams clash off on Friday at Bert Sutcliffe Oval. The Otago team has won only one of the four matches and are placed at the bottom of the points table.

Weather Condition/Report:

The sun is expected to be behind the clouds until the afternoon at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Bert Sutcliffe Oval has been good for batsmen this week. The first game between Central Districts and Northern Districts recorded two long opening stands. In the previous match, Auckland posted a 300+ total. Hence, we expect another high-scoring match on Friday at this venue.

Average first innings score: 268 (List A matches since 2018)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 2

Injury and Availability:

Hamish Bennett is likely to return from injury and lead Wellington.

Probable Playing XIs:

Wellington:

Andrew Fletcher, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway (WK), Michael Bracewell, Jimmy Neesham, Malcolm Nofal, Jamie Gibson, Logan Van Beek, Hamish Bennett (C), Ollie Newton, Jeetan Patel.

Bench – Lauchie Johns, Ben Sears, Iain McPeake.

Otago:

Nick Kelly, Hamish Rutherford, Neil Broom, Mitch Renwick (WK), Dean Foxcroft, Nathan Smith, Anaru Kitchen, Michael Rippon, Dale Phillips, Jacob Duffy (C), Matt Bacon.

Bench – Josh Finnie, Blair Soper.

Top Picks:

Malcolm Nofal is Wellington’s 2nd highest run-getter of the tournament with 126 runs and also claimed three wickets. Ollie Newton continues to excel with the ball having taken 11 wickets in only four matches with help of three 3-fers. Nathan Smith has picked up seven wickets in the tournament and also scored 73 runs across four matches. Michael Bracewell scored fifties in last two matches.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Rachin Ravindra, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford

Vice-Captain – Nick Kelly, Malcolm Nofal, Michael Bracewell

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Devon Conway

Batters – Neil Broom, Nick Kelly, Michael Bracewell

All-Rounders – Rachin Ravindra (C), Jimmy Neesham, Malcolm Nofal, Michael Rippon (VC)

Bowlers – Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Ollie Newton

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Devon Conway

Batters – Hamish Rutherford, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom

All-Rounders – Rachin Ravindra (VC), Malcolm Nofal, Dean Foxcroft, Michael Rippon

Bowlers – Nathan Smith, Hamish Bennett, Ollie Newton

Expert Advice:

Hamish Rutherford has an interesting record in the One-Day format. In 84 List A innings, Rutherford has only 2928 runs at a mediocre average of 35.7. However, he has struck 10 hundreds in those and only nine fifties which shows how good he is at converting the starts. In the previous edition of Ford Trophy, Hamish struck two tons in seven innings. Hence, he will be a good choice as captain or not good enough to be picked in the fantasy team.

Probable Winners:

The Wellington team is expected to bounce back with a win against Otago.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.