When Northern Districts opens this summer's Plunket Shield campaign next month in Tauranga, the association may well be fielding one of the strongest teams ever in the history of New Zealand's venerable first-class trophy.

It could even be described as one of the strongest domestic teams in world cricket outside of the T20 franchise leagues. Probably stronger, in fact, than a number of the world's 12 test-playing national teams.

Up to seven Black Caps internationals may be striding out onto the Bay Oval for the first match of the season, from October 10-13, including local hero Kane Williamson.

Not a happy prospect for the opposition, Otago.

Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Colin de Grandhomme, Ish Sodhi, BJ Watling, and Neil Wagner will all potentially be available for new ND coach John Bracewell to select in the match as they build up to a big international summer for the Black Caps.

'That's to be confirmed this week,” John says. 'They're in camp with Gary Stead, their new coach. This is his first opportunity to go through and work out what sort of cricket everybody needs leading into their tour.

'Hopefully we get all of them available. but we'll find out by the end of the week.

'It's safe to say we'll have most of those guys, we just don't know how many.”

Following the first Plunket Shield round the Black Caps and New Zealand A players gather for their commitments against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

'We'll do our best to accommodate them, and make sure they get the right amount of cricket leading into their tour, but also making sure it doesn't compromise what we want to get out of the match, which is obviously a good result.”

The stars have been training with their Northern teammates at the Bay Oval nets in recent days, and are returning for more work there next week.

The line-up is testimony to the success Northern Districts has had in recent years in developing international standard players, and also the desirability of the area for established stars to base themselves, particularly the Bay of Plenty.

Williamson and Boult are high-profile born and bred Tauranga locals, products of Tauranga Boys' and Otumoetai Colleges respectively, while Southee, Sodhi and Watling are also native to the ND region. Wagner and de Grandhomme are recent imports after moving from Otago and Auckland to make their homes at Mount Maunganui.

There could have been even more international quality in the team if Corey Anderson, another Bay resident after moving from Canterbury, had been available. He's been smashing the attack to all parts for Somerset in the English T20 championship.

Mitch Santner is another who could add still more firepower to the team. The hope is he will be recovered from injury in time for the Burger King Super Smash.

Even once the Black Caps depart, Northern will still have a strong playing roster to call on with the likes of the former internationals Daniel Flynn and Dean Brownlie, as well as Bay of Plenty's Brett Hampton and Sean Davey on the contracted players list.

The team have been in Gisborne during the week for an in-house practice outing, giving more Bay players, including Joe Carter and Peter Drysdale, a chance to impress the coach.

'Obviously Bay of Plenty Cricket's been doing a good job over the last few years not only attracting cricketers but also producing them,” John says.

While the Knights are playing two T20s at the Mount in their Super Smash campaign, the October match is the only four-dayer scheduled at the Bay Oval this summer, so fans keen to get a glimpse of the team playing traditional red-ball, white-uniform cricket should get along to the ground.

In how many other countries in the world could you rock up to watch stars of the magnitude of Williamson, Boult and Southee playing for free?