Injury woes hit New Zealand ahead of second Test against West Indies

New Zealand’s injury crisis deepened during the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch, with key players Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Tom Blundell all sidelined.

Blundell, who sustained a hamstring injury while batting on the opening day at Hagley Oval, has been ruled out of the second Test, which will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington starting December 10. 

Smith missed bowling and fielding on day four due to a side complaint, while Henry left the field after the 35th over and did not bowl or field in the final session. 

Henry, who had taken the wicket of Roston Chase in his 11 overs on Friday, subsequently underwent calf scans at a nearby hospital.

In the absence of Smith and Henry, New Zealand turned to part-time spinners Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra. 

The team was already without middle-order mainstay Daryl Mitchell, who could not recover in time from a groin injury for the Test-series opener. 

Bowling coach Jacob Oram said the team is awaiting scan results for Henry and Smith.

“They’ve had scans and it’s really disappointing for them,” Oram said. “We’re waiting for the reports to decide not only for this Test but for the series going forward. With just one day left and a quick turnaround, it’s a wait-and-see situation.”

Wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay is poised to make his Test debut in the second match against West Indies. The 25-year-old has played 19 white-ball internationals for New Zealand but remains uncapped in Tests. 

He boasts a first-class record of 1,888 runs in 47 innings at an average of 49.68. Hay is currently featuring for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield and will join the national squad in Wellington ahead of the second Test. 

Rookie Jesse Frew will replace Hay in Canterbury’s lineup for the remainder of the ongoing round.

In Blundell’s absence, Tom Latham juggled captaincy and keeping duties during both innings at Hagley Oval. 

He took four catches in West Indies’ first innings, contributing to a 64-run first-innings lead, and later scored 145 off 250 balls for his first Test century in three years. 

Latham also became the fifth New Zealand player to reach 6,000 Test runs.

“[The body is] not too bad,” Latham said after day three. “I’ll focus on recovery, but it’s a really good day and we’re in a strong position. Smith’s injury is another factor, but it’s encouraging to see some spin when we batted. We’ll chip in when a man goes down.”

New Zealand declared at 466 for 8 on day four, setting West Indies a daunting target of 531. West Indies finished the day on 212 for 4, led by an unbeaten 116 from Shai Hope.

Allrounder Glenn Phillips could also feature in the second Test, having demonstrated match fitness in the Plunket Shield. 

Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson returned to first-class cricket on Friday, taking the new ball for Canterbury in Napier, his first red-ball game since February 2024.

Jamieson showed swing and control, dismissing Josh Clarkson for a duck caught by Hay.

While Jamieson has been a white-ball regular since recovering from a back injury, coach Rob Walter confirmed he will not be rushed into Test cricket, with his workload closely monitored. 

Bowling coach Jacob Oram echoed this cautious approach.

"Kyle as we know is damn skillful," Oram said on Friday. 

"We also know he's a guy who has had a few niggles himself over the last 12-18 months and one major one with his back. So, we're just going to make sure we're careful with him. And like we always say to guys, the bigger picture is really important as well. I know we want to win every game and that's a given but at the same time it's not to the detriment of the longer-term picture. But if he's deemed ready to go, 100%...it will be great to have Kyle Jamieson with us. Let's see how things pan out - he's playing the Plunket Shield."

Jamieson has been meticulous in managing his body post-stress fracture, with high-performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow overseeing his training, load management, and biomechanics. 

"They've done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly," Jamieson had earlier told ESPNcricinfo. "They advise on everything, right from how my body's moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.

"I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I'm pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in."