Partnering williamson

His Plunket Shield: New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, along with teammate Tim Southee, will play in the first-class Plunket Shield championship, as the duo will be joining the Northern Districts squad against Auckland in round two, starting on Tuesday at Seddon Park.

Williamson, who debuted for Northern Districts some 17 years ago, last appeared in the competition in October 2019. The 35-year-old batter, who turned down an NZC contract, will be playing his first competitive game since missing the recent Test tour of India with a groin injury.

He joins the team with a strong Plunket Shield record, averaging 60 and holding the second-highest score in Northern Districts history (284 not out).