After another compelling Twenty20 spell against England in Nelson, Lockie Ferguson edges closer to a test callup.

With five successive tests looming against England and Australia, it's a matter of when, not if, Lockie Ferguson dons his first New Zealand test cap in the next two months.

One of the Black Caps' players of the year in white ball cricket will continue his push for a deserved test callup when he grasps the red ball for Auckland against Plunket Shield leaders Wellington at the Basin Reserve on Friday.

In a clear signal the fast bowler is in the frame for the two England tests, starting at Mount Maunganui on November 21, Ferguson was excused from the final two Twenty20 internationals and named in Auckland's 12 to travel to Wellington.

KAI SCHWOERER/GETTY IMAGES After spending most of the year in black clothing, Lockie Ferguson dons the white shirt of the Auckland Aces in Plunket Shield.

It sets up an intriguing duel between two seemingly certain test players of the future, with Ferguson set to charge in against Devon Conway fresh off a mind-boggling double of 327 not out and 66 against Canterbury.

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The South African becomes eligible for Black Caps selection on residency grounds in September, and chalks up his 100th first-class match on Friday, with already 508 runs in the bank for the shield season at an average of 169.

HAGEN HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES Black Cap-in-waiting Devon Conway plays his 100th first-class game on Friday and an intriguing duel with fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.

New Zealand's selectors are scheduled to name their test 13 to face England later next week, with the fast bowling makeup and the solitary spinner the only two discussion points.

New ball duo Tim Southee and Trent Boult are assured, and will play the final two T20 internationals, while Ferguson, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry have plenty to play for in the final shield round before the competition's lengthy hiatus until February 22. Only four of those five will make the test squad.

Wagner is the incumbent in the test pace attack and in his most recent test snared 9-73 in victory over Bangladesh in Wellington in March. Of New Zealand's top-10 test wicket-takers, Wagner's strike rate of 52.6 is second only to the great Sir Richard Hadlee (50.8).

The left-armer took 8-166 for the match at the first test venue, Bay Oval, in Northern's loss to the Stags last weekend and would count himself unlucky to be overlooked for the XI against England.

But 150kmh man Ferguson is looming fast as a contender for that spot at first change in the intimidatory role Wagner plays so well on flat surfaces.

Ferguson's first-class record is good, 149 wickets at 24.65, and his extra pace, hostility and wicket-taking ability he showed at the Cricket World Cup when second-highest wicket-taker behind Mitchell Starc was compelling.

GETTY IMAGES Neil Wagner is coming off an eight-wicket haul for Northern Districts as he returns south to play his old province.

His game-changing ability was obvious again in Nelson on Tuesday with his wickets of Lewis Gregory and Sam Curran in three balls effectively sealing victory.

The fact New Zealand play five tests on the bounce - two at home against England then three against Australia in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney - means coach Gary Stead will likely rotate his pacemen as Australia did successfully in retaining the Ashes with a 2-2 series draw.

Henry should also get a chance with the new ball in at least one of the five tests if either Boult or Southee are injured or rested.

MARTY MELVILLE/PHOTOSPORT Canterbury's Matt Henry returns for another round of Plunket Shield as one of five pace bowlers in test reckoning for England and Australia.

With the test batting top-six set in stone and Colin de Grandhomme established as the allrounder, the only other question is which spinner gets the nod?

Todd Astle, Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel will all play the next shield round while Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi continue in the T20 side.

Given spinners get minimal opportunities in pre-Christmas tests in New Zealand, the potential clincher may be batting ability at No 8 with Santner and Astle at the head of the queue there.

That would be harsh on both Somerville and Patel who established themselves as the preferred spin duo in offshore tests in the 1-1 series draw with Sri Lanka, and present a tough decision in a head to head race for one spot.

AT A GLANCE

Plunket Shield round three, Friday from 10.30am:

Wellington Firebirds v Auckland Aces at Basin Reserve, Wellington

Wellington: Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, Fraser Colson, Devon Conway, Jamie Gibson, Iain McPeake, Malcolm Nofal, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Michael Snedden, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband.

Auckland: Robert O'Donnell (c), Graeme Beghin, Jamie Brown, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Horne, Kyle Jamieson, Matt McEwan, Glenn Phillips, Jeet Raval, Sean Solia, Will Somerville.

Central Stags v Canterbury at Saxton Oval, Nelson

Central: Greg Hay (c), Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Willem Ludick, Jarrod McKay, Ajaz Patel, Raymond Toole, Seth Rance, Brad Schmulian, Ben Smith, Ben Stoyanoff, George Worker.

Canterbury: Cole McConchie (c), Todd Astle, Chad Bowes, Cam Fletcher, Andrew Hazeldine, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Steve Murdoch, Henry Nicholls, Ed Nuttall, Theo van Woerkom, Will Williams.

Otago Volts v Northern Districts at University Oval, Dunedin

Otago: Jacob Duffy (c), Matt Bacon, Josh Finnie, Dean Foxcroft, Anaru Kitchen, Nick Kelly, Dale Phillips, Michael Rae, Mitch Renwick, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford, Nathan Smith.

Northern: Daniel Flynn (c), James Baker, Dean Brownlie, Joe Carter, Henry Cooper, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Bharat Popli, Brett Randell, Neil Wagner, Joe Walker, BJ Watling.

Points after two rounds: Wellington 39, Central 24, Auckland 21, Canterbury 11, Northern 10, Otago 8.