New Zealand seamer Tim Southee's chances of playing in the Test series against Australia have improved after earning selection for his domestic side.
Northern Districts named 46-Test paceman Southee in their team to face Central Districts in a Plunket Shield game starting in Napier on Friday.
It will be the 27-year-old's first game since suffering a bruised left foot during the one-day international against Sri Lanka in Nelson on New Year's Eve.
He was ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day international series and has been regarded a touch-and-go prospect to play the two-Test series starting in Wellington on February 12.
Northern haven't selected Test wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who is recuperating from a back injury.
Watling's fitness for the first Test will be assessed when the Black Caps arrive in Hamilton on Sunday ahead of the third and final ODI.
After the pre-Christmas Test series against Sri Lanka, Watling played eight one-day games for Northern and was called into the ODI squad for the series against Pakistan before withdrawing because of the back tweak.
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