Blackcaps prospect Devon Conway will get his first taste of international cricket, when he lines up for NZ A against West Indies over three days in Queenstown next week.
South African-born Conway became eligible to represent New Zealand in August and a good performance could see him called into Gary Stead's national side for the Windies tour.
Last summer, Conway topped the run charts in all three domestic formats for Wellington, highlighted by an unbeaten 327 against Canterbury in Plunket Shield.
"It's a great honour and a privilege having that opportunity," Conway tells Newshub. "It's a great feeling and I'm very excited for it to happen.
"Being eligible is one thing, but playing is another, and doing a job for the Firebirds or NZ A is also another job. It's very exciting, but you've also got to be patient.
"Definitely, one day, to hopefully be able to put on that Blackcaps cap will be a pretty special moment for me."
Along with Conway, experienced batsman Henry Nicholls has also been named in the NZ A side - a chance to regain fitness before the test series, which starts on December 3.
The left-hander hasn't played in eight months, after struggling with a calf injury that has kept him sidelined during the opening rounds of the Plunket Shield.
"It's an exciting time for Devon, who's had to wait for his opportunity at this level, after some outstanding form on the domestic scene," says Stead.
"It's great to get Henry back on the park, after what I know has been a frustrating winter with his left calf injury.
"He'll turn out for Canterbury this weekend in the Plunket Shield, before heading to Queenstown to face the West Indies, and we're confident, if he comes through both games unscathed, he'll be ready for the first test in Hamilton on December 3."
Other notable selections include opening batsman Will Young and Blackcaps paceman Blair Tickner, while Canterbury captain Cole McConchie will lead the side.
"It's been a year like no other and we're very fortunate to be preparing for such an action-packed summer," says Stead.
"The complexities of the international schedule, along with the size of the touring squads and the length of time they will spend in the country, has enabled us to build a very strong A programme.
"The flip-side of this is that pressure will be put on our player pool this season and we need to be smart with how we use our resources, therefore we'll likely add and subtract from this squad as we go along.
After the three-day match, NZ A will face West Indies test players in a four-day match, starting on November 26.
The West Indies officially open their New Zealand tour against the Blackcaps in a T20 clash at Auckland's Eden Park on November 27.
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