New Zealand’s preparations have suffered a major setback for the upcoming Test series against England, starting on Thursday (February 16) at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The injury has left the hosts down in the bowling department after Kyle Jamieson suffered a stress-fracture of his back. Matt Henry will also miss the first Test as he is awaiting the birth of his first child.
Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn
Uncapped pairing of Jacob Duffy (Otago Volts) and Scott Kuggeleijn (Northern Districts) have been called up and will arrive in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the first day-night Test against England starting on Thursday.
Tom Blundell, who recently welcomed his second child, will join them later today Henry Nicholls Whose original flight from Christchurch was canceled on Monday due to Cyclone Gabriel.
Kiwis coach Stead admitted it has been a busy few days but hoped the changes would now allow the team to focus on the preparations ahead.
“First of all, we are delighted for Tom and Kate to welcome their second child into the world,” he said.
“Family is always a priority in our environment and this informs decisions around Matt and his availability for Tests. We wish him and his wife Holly all the best as they await the birth of their first child in Christchurch.”
Stead confirmed Jamieson’s suspected back stress-fracture was picked up in an MRI scan and it was a recurrence of the injury that ruled him out of the England Test tour in June. Jamieson has since been back in action for the Auckland Aces in the Dream11 Super Smash and the Ford Trophy, as well as last week’s New Zealand XI warm-up match against England in Hamilton.
While Jamieson came through those games without any problems, Stead said the latest scan results after the two-day warm-up match revealed a suspected fracture which required more investigation.
“It’s really gutsy for Kyle to happen because he worked so hard to get himself back on the park.
“Since the injury in June we have of course taken a cautious approach to managing his return with regular monitoring by our medical staff which includes scans.
“While Kyle is not feeling any pain, the evidence is very clear that he has a stress-fracture and so he will return to Christchurch today and undergo a CT scan on Friday before a decision on next steps is made.”
Duffy worthy replacement?
Duffy has been included in England’s last two Test tours and is the second top wicket-taker in this half phase of the Plunket Shield with 22 wickets and two five-wicket hauls. A decision on the make-up of the team will be taken after the first Test, with Henry expected to be available for the second Test starting February 24 in Wellington.