Taylor, Williamson in contention
New Zealand haven’t given up on key batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor returning for Saturday’s crunch one-day cricket international against England after a positive medical report.
In a boost for the Black Caps who arrived in Wellington smarting from a six-wicket hiding by England in game two, Taylor’s precautionary scan showed no serious damage to his quadriceps which he injured while batting.
The prolific New Zealand batsman, who raised his 18th ODI century in their series-opening win over England in Hamilton, felt tightness in his quad a few deliveries before he was run out for 10 on Wednesday. He sat out New Zealand’s entire fielding stint.
In a statement, the Black Caps said the scan showed no serious damage, ‘‘but he [Taylor] will still be required to undergo further assessment at the team’s training session [on Friday]’’.
Taylor’s and Williamson’s availability for the third daynight ODI at Westpac Stadium was yet to be determined, the statement said.
Williamson looks a better chance of playing despite missing Wednesday’s match with a hamstring injury which he described as ‘‘niggly’’. It was the second home match he’d missed this year due to injury after he sat out the Wellington Twenty20 against Pakistan in January with stiffness in his side.
He batted at Bay Oval on match day and felt minimal discomfort, and if he gets through a net session at the Basin Reserve will likely return to lead the side after Tim Southee became New Zealand’s 23rd ODI skipper in Tauranga.
Playing an ODI without their batting anchors Williamson and Taylor is near unthinkable, and would boost England’s momentum to runaway train levels after they were all over New Zealand in Tauranga, dismissing them for 223.
Mark Chapman, who scored one in a daunting assignment at No 3 in Williamson’s absence, remains with the squad in Wellington and no extra cover had been called in.
‘‘We just did a promo and Kane looked pretty good running around with the kids. I’m hoping he’s going to be right,’’ said senior bowler Trent Boult.
‘‘A hundred percent, he wants to be out there playing as many games as he can and we all know how important he is to our batting unit and his captaincy is a big one as well.’’
Despite their comprehensive beating – England reached their target with 73 balls remaining with an unbeaten 63 from man of the match Ben Stokes – New Zealand’s senior men arrived in a relaxed, even buoyant mood.
‘‘There’s no doubt we were severely outplayed in all facets. They fielded extremely well and put a lot of pressure on us,’’ Boult said.
‘‘The elephant in the room is the [four] run outs. They fielded very well but the one-day cricket we’ve been playing, and the way we have been batting, last night wasn’t a very good representation of how we want to do things.’’
After nine straight ODI wins against West Indies, Pakistan and England it wasn’t panic stations.
Led by Boult, the bowlers did their best to be aggressive and knock over England’s top order but defending such a low total on an excellent pitch that improved for batting, it was soon a onesided chase led by skipper Eoin Morgan.
The spotlight goes on New Zealand’s batting, particularly with Williamson and Taylor under clouds and Colin Munro and Henry Nicholls both needing runs after dual failures.
Munro needs to temper his bull-at-a-gate approach in ODIs and New Zealand have twice been under pressure after losing three early wickets.