Injured NZ seamer a chance to play Test series against Australia after being selected for Northern Districts
Southee takes next step towards Test return
New Zealand seamer Tim Southee's chances of playing in the Test series against Australia have improved after he earned 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.
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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.
WATCH: Tim Southee's foot problems began in Australia last November
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.