Canterbury quicks Nuttall, Jamieson to miss start of season
A broken screw in his injured right foot will keep Canterbury fast bowler Kyle Jamieson sidelined for the opening months of the domestic cricket season.
Canterbury, the defending Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy 50-over champions, will begin the summer without their two frontline quicks with Ed Nuttall also out with a back stress fracture.
Nuttall, 24, and Jamieson, 22, aren’t expected to return until December at the earliest, which will place pressure on inexperienced seamers Henry Shipley, Will Williams and Nathan McNicol to deliver consistently.
Jamieson missed the final part of last summer after a freak training accident in March, where he broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while jogging after the ball, which required surgery.
He had been back training over the winter and bowling for about a month when a screw snapped in his foot, which forced him to have a second operation in August.
Jamieson is wearing a moonboot and will have a better idea of where he is at with his rehabilitation when he meets his surgeon in mid-October.
‘‘Even the surgeon said we don’t see this happening that often. It’s just one of those things,’’ Jamieson said
‘‘It’s not quite back to square one. I had a few good months before the surgery, so I haven’t lost a heck of a lot with my strength and conditioning side of things.’’
The injury setbacks are a cruel blow for the pair, who would have been certainties for the New Zealand A tour of India, which begins this weekend, had they been fit.
Nuttall, who didn’t need back surgery, was understood to have gained New Zealand selection for the first time for May’s tri-series in Ireland, but withdrew through injury.
Canterbury coach Gary Stead said they were taking a conservative approach with the duo and wouldn’t be rushing their recovery.
He was reluctant to put a timeline on their return to the first class ranks, but December looms as the best case scenario.
‘‘Both of them are still young bowlers and they’ve got many, many years left in the game, so if they can get their injuries out of the road early it means they can have a long and sustainable career after that.
‘‘Both Kyle and Ed have got a really good record for us and we want them to get 100 per cent right, so they don’t have these problems in the future.’’
Canterbury open their Plunket Shield campaign against Otago at Hagley Oval, starting on October 23.
Stead conceded their fast bowling stocks had been depleted in recent seasons with Hamish Bennett and Logan van Beek both having moved to Wellington and Ryan McCone shifting to Central Districts last summer.
Without Jamieson and Nuttall, their two premier fast bowling wicket-takers, others would have to step up.
‘‘There’s going to be opportunities for players, I guarantee you that.’’
Outside the contracted squad, former Christchurch Boys’ High standout Fraser Sheat, a 19-yearold right-arm quick, who was MVP at last year’s secondary school nationals, is probably next in line.
Stead would keep a close eye on quad series trial games and the club competitions for any fast bowlers, with decent pace, who could swing the ball effectively.
Canterbury have a four-day preseason match against Otago in Alexandra from October 10-13.