Otago's bowling stocks have been boosted by the return of Kerry Walmsley for the State Championship match against Canterbury, starting in Christchurch on Sunday.

Walmsley passed a fitness test on his strained hamstring this morning and has been included in the Otago squad of 12 to travel north tomorrow.

The former New Zealand bowler's inclusion will add to Otago's stocks, which were severely depleted prior to the opening Championship round against Northern Districts. While David Sewell and Evan Marshall took five wickets each in Northern's first innings, the back-up bowlers failed to fire.

Neither Otago nor Canterbury won their first round game. Canterbury though had the satisfaction of taking first-innings points over Wellington.

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