Vettori to make first-class cricket return in domestic Plunket Shield game

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori will reportedly make his return to first-class cricket in a domestic Plunket Shield match at Hamilton's Seddon Park.

Vettori, who made a short-lived return to domestic cricket earlier this year and played three one-dayers at the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June, has made a strong recovery from a second operation on an Achilles tendon injury that kept him out of most cricket since his last test outing against the West Indies in Antigua in July 2012.

According to Stuff.co.nz, Vettori has been named in the domestic 12-man Northern Knights squad for their opening Plunket Shield match of the season against the Auckland Aces, and will be joined by returning Test players BJ Watling and Ish Sodhi.

Vettori, former skipper Stephen Fleming and current captain Brendon McCullum are among shareholders of a company setting up a new market for New Zealand's meat in India and will use their Indian contacts to build the trade in the cricket-mad nation.