Congratulations to Bharat Popli for 1st Class Selection for Northern Knights

Posted: Wednesday, 18 December 2013

BHARAT POPLI TO DEBUT

The SKYCITY Northern Knights have made one change to the team that lost to the Canterbury Wizards last week. Bharat Popli has been selected to make his first-class debut, replacing Dan Vettori who has journeyed to Australia to join the Brisbane Heat for the Big Bash League.

Popli has come through the representative age group teams in the Bay of Plenty at the same time as international Kane Williamson, making his BOP representative debut while still at school in 2008. He represented the ND Under 19’s at the national tournament and he’s scored consistently well for ND A over the past two years.

After making a century on debut for BOP while still at school, Popli has become just the fifth player to pass 2,000 runs for that Association. The twenty-three year old also owns the record for most centuries for BOP (6), and is likely to bat in the middle order on debut versus the Auckland Aces.

The match begins on Friday at Eden Park number 2.

Whilst the SKYCITY Northern Knights will be disappointed in the overall result in Christchurch, they will be buoyed by the strong 170-run second innings partnership between 22 year-old Darrel Mitchell (103) and 21 year-old second-gamer Joe Carter (81) which threatened to tilt the balance back the Knights way.

Earlier this year these two teams played a draw in Hamilton. This time a result would appear essential for both teams as the Knights (4th) and the Aces (6th) aim to keep in touch with the leaders.

The Knights will again be without Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, BJ Watling and Kane Williamson who will all be representing the Blackcaps in the third Test in Hamilton.

SKYCITY Northern Knights v Auckland Aces at Eden Park number 2, Auckland 20-23 December:

Daniel Flynn (capt)
Bay of Plenty
Graeme Aldridge
Bay of Plenty
James Baker
Hamilton
Jono Boult
Bay of Plenty
Joe Carter
Bay of Plenty
Anton Devcich
Hamilton
Cam Fletcher
Counties Manukau
Scott Kuggeleijn
Hamilton
Daryl Mitchell
Hamilton
Bharat Popli
Bay of Plenty
Anurag Verma
Hamilton
Brad Wilson
Northland

Share this page: