No VETTORI for Kiwis as they bid to hold England

Julian Guyer

Daniel Vettori’s hopes of making a return to Test cricket in New Zealand’s series finale with England in Leeds ultimately came to nothing after he was ruled out on Thursday.

Former captain Vettori hasn’t played a Test for nearly a year, mainly because of Achilles trouble, and was only originally selected for the one-day leg of this tour.

But a calf injury suffered by his fellow left-arm spinner Bruce Martin during New Zealand’s thumping 170-run first Test defeat at Lord’s saw Vettori make an earlier than expected arrival in England.

The 34-year-old, whose 359 Test wickets for New Zealand have only been bettered for the Black Caps by Richard Hadlee, bowled in the nets on Wednesday.

But Thursday, the day before the match starts at Headingley on Friday, saw Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum announce Vettori, a veteran of 111 Tests for New Zealand, hasd been ruled out. “Dan’s out of tomorrow’s game unfortunately,” McCullum told reporters at Headingley on Thursday.

“He didn’t scrub up that well today and just the confidence to go into a five-day game, with the workload he’s had, it was just a bridge too far unfortunately.” Doug Bracewell, who missed out at Lord’s, will play at Headingley meaning the tourists will field four seamers, with spin provided by part-time off-break bowler Kane Williamson.

“He’s been outstanding in warm-up games on this tour,” McCullum said of Bracewell. “Hopefully, we get the cloud cover and our seamers are able to prosper.” McCullum will keep wicket at Headingley after BJ Watling was ruled out with a knee injury suffered during the first Test.

The captain who deputised for Watling at Lord’s, gave up keeping in Tests because of a back complaint in 2010.

Watling’s place will be taken by an extra batsman in Martin Guptill, who has experience of English conditions from his time with Derbyshire.

The Black Caps will need all the batting nous they can muster after collapsing to 68 all out in their second innings at Lord’s in the face of seven for 44 from England seamer Stuart Broad.

AFP

England v New Zealand SECOND TEST TEAMS

Probable teams and officials for the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley starting on Friday

ENGLAND:

Alastair Cook (capt), Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow,
Matt Prior (wkt), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan

NEW ZEALAND:

Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Doug Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (capt/wkt), Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Marais Erasmus (RSA) TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK)