Watling cloud for NZ

D-day will arrive for New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling late next week as he battles a hip injury which has him in doubt for the first cricket test against West Indies.

Watling’s ongoing problem, which ruled him out of the last two Plunket Shield rounds and will restrict his involvement for Northern Districts to batsman only on Wednesday, saw an asterisk beside his name in a predictable first squad of the home season.

It leaves Wellington’s Tom Blundell, named to keep wicket for New Zealand A in the tour opener at Lincoln starting on November 25, in line for a potential test debut on his home ground if Watling doesn’t recover.

Selector Gavin Larsen said Watling, who averages 38 from 52 tests, would need to don the gloves for ND in Alexandra next Friday to prove his fitness for the first test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on December 1.

‘‘He’s going well but he’s still a bit problematic with his hip. He’s been through the normal testing and is still feeling it just a bit,’’ Larsen said.

‘‘It’s precautionary at this stage; he’ll bat in this game [this week] and we’re very hopeful he can wear the gloves in the round five Plunket Shield game.

‘‘He’ll need to keep, most importantly for his own peace of mind and confidence.’’

It gives Blundell an opportunity to further push his case against Canterbury this week and for a strong NZ A side in the three-day match. Otherwise Larsen and coach Mike Hesson stuck solid with the team who performed well in the 1-0 series loss to South Africa in March, when rain stymied their victory push in Dunedin and Hamilton.

Allrounder Colin de Grandhomme retains his place, Mitchell Santner is the solitary spinner and pace trio Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner are reunited after the first two missed the third test with injury. Matt Henry also makes the 12 as the likely backup paceman with another backup player to be added from the NZA squad.