Bell pays heavy toll for sluggish form with bat

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Matthew Bell and Cameron Merchant are the big losers while Marc Calkin and Ronald Karaitiana are the winners from Wellington's Twenty20 selection shakeup.

Both Bell and Merchant paid the price for poor batting form in the Plunket Shield, with the dumping of last season's captain Bell the major talking point.

Wellington coach Anthony Stuart said the recalled Chris Nevin had edged out Bell for a middle-order spot in this weekend's season-opening double-header against Otago and Canterbury at the Basin Reserve.

"Belly's disappointed he's missed out but we think Chris is a bit more of a natural ball-striker in that role," Stuart said.

"Cam's not hitting the ball as well as some of the others for this form of the game. It is an all-round game and the guys that we've picked have just shaded them at this stage."

Two of them are Naenae team-mates Calkin and Karaitiana who can both bat, bowl and field. The unorthodox Calkin is being considered as an opening batsman.

"He gives us options and variety, a different skillset with the shots he plays," Stuart said. "Ronald's a bit more orthodox but he strikes the ball cleanly, he's a very good fielder and he's a little more orthodox than Marc with the ball as well."

Joe Austin-Smellie will keep wickets while captain Jeetan Patel, Luke Woodcock and Mark Houghton could be used in a three-pronged spin attack.

"It's an option. Mark's also improved his batting. Confidence-wise he's more at ease out in the middle with the bat and with the ball he knows his role."

Stuart was taking an inclusive approach to devising tactics, with the input of Patel, import Luke Wright and senior players Neal Parlane and Woodcock all valued.

"Luke Wright's played more international Twenty20 than Jeetan, but Jeets has got a pretty smart cricket brain. We're all going to be on the same page."

New Zealand Cricket have targeted either December 12 against Northern Districts or December 14 against Auckland as the return date for injured Black Cap Jesse Ryder.

"Obviously from our perspective we're hoping it's the 12th but if it's the 14th it's the 14th."

In other news, former Black Cap Lou Vincent has been named as Auckland's captain.

Wellington squad for this weekend's Twenty20 matches against Otago and Canterbury at the Basin Reserve: Jeetan Patel (c), Joe Austin-Smellie, Harry Boam, Dewayne Bowden, Marc Calkin, Mark Houghton, Ronald Karaitiana, Chris Nevin, Neal Parlane, Michael Pollard, Stewart Rhodes, Luke Woodcock, Damien Wright, Luke Wright

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