Finn picks up baton after Woakes injury
• Fast bowler fights his way back into England squad
England fast bowler Steven Finn hopes to make the most of his late call-up to Champions Trophy duty when the hosts face New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.
England fast bowler Steven Finn hopes to make the most of his late call-up to Champions Trophy duty when the hosts face New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.
Finn was left out of England’s original squad for a tournament featuring the world’s top eight one-day international teams.
But the 28-year-old Middlesex quick was recalled on Sunday after pace bowling allrounder Chris Woakes broke down with a side strain during England’s opening eight-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Oval on Thursday.
“It’s always frustrating when you are left out of squads, but you have to roll with the punches,” Finn said.
“I just focused on keeping my head up and fighting my way back into the team.”
He added: “It’s obviously very sad for Chris Woakes, who is a good friend of mine, but I am glad that I’ve got the call.”
Finn could go straight into England’s XI in Cardiff if, as happened against Bangladesh, they opt to play just one spinner. He sealed his return to international duty when he took two wickets in front of the selectors for the second-string England Lions in a 144-run win over SA A at Northampton on Saturday.
“I knew James Whitaker and Mick Newell were there watching me,” said Finn.
“You feel that pressure, I suppose, knowing they’re watching you to call you up for this game.
“But that is no different from every time I pull on an England or Lions shirt.”
New Zealand endured a frustrating washout in their Group A opener against Australia when they seemed well placed for victory.
“The nature of this tournament is that every game is basically [a] knockout,” said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, whose superb hundred was trumped by the rain.
“We played some good cricket and we can’t control the weather, although it is a little bit frustrating.”
England’s Joe Root, another of the world’s leading batsmen, also made a century in his first innings of the tournament against Bangladesh.
But while the sometimes excitable Root can be goaded into error, Williamson rarely looks anything other than serene at the crease.
“He’s arguably the calmest man alive,” said New Zealand seamer Trent Boult. “He gets more flustered on what to wear on a dinner date with his missus than he does on the field.”
The last time these two sides met in a 50-over International Cricket Council event, New Zealand inflicted a humiliating eight-wicket defeat on England in Wellington during the 2015 World Cup.
Not content with dismissing England for 123, the Blackcaps raced to their target in a mere 12.2 overs, with then skipper Brendon McCullum hitting 77 off just 25 balls, including seven sixes. One consolation for England is that McCullum has since retired from international play.
Tuesday’s match takes place against the backdrop of a terror attack in London on Saturday that killed seven people and injured dozens more.
England pacemen Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett had to head to Cardiff by bus after their cars were parked in a police exclusion zone near their London hotel. “But we will keep playing cricket and be defiant in the face of it,” said Finn.