Horsley returns home to Northern Districts base

Nick Horsley is to play his cricket in the Northern Districts region this summer.

He is returning to live on the family farm at Te Akau. Born in Hamilton where he attended Southwell School, he played representative cricket for Northern Districts (ND) at Under-14 and Under-16 level.

Stints in the New Zealand Development team preceded his selection in the New Zealand Under-19 team that played the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in January 2000.

Horsley made his first-class debut last summer and has appeared in nine first-class matches and has a first-class century to his name already. In one-day cricket, he played seven State Shield matches last summer and achieved a top score of 89 not out.

He is spending his summer in England.

Meanwhile, ND coach Bruce Blair has named his winter training squad.

"We have settled on an expanded squad which focuses our attention on the next tier below the Knights and signals to the players the urgency of being ready for the coming season.

"On the back of the recent success of the TelstraClear Black Caps, we are looking forward to summer and getting back into cricket," he said.

The squad is: Daniel Vettori, Bruce Martin, Jaden Hatwell, Nathan Daley, Grant Robinson, Brook Hatwell, Greg Steele, Mark Orchard, Simon Andrews, Gareth Irwin, Ben Winslade (Hamilton), Niven Aldridge, Leighton Hammond (Bay of Plenty), Ben Hart, Jason Warner, Scott Styris (Thames Valley), Ben Cochrane, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Michael Parlane, Joseph Yovich (Northland), Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler, Brent Arnel (Counties Manukau).