STOKES MAY NOT BOWL IN OPENER

THERE was concern off the pitch and then on it during yesterday’s lively opening to the Test leg of England’s tour in New Zealand when Ben Stokes missed out through injury and their attack was made to toil without him. The absence of Stokes — along with the injured Chris Woakes, Mason Crane and Craig Overton — was put down to a ‘minor’ back problem but so important is he to the balance of England’s Test side it has to be a concern. Then, after England dominated early on, the little-known Kyle Jamieson so infuriated a chuntering Jimmy Anderson with his uncomplicated hitting that the vice-captain was told to calm down by the umpires. England’s medical staff urged caution over Stokes’s workload when he came to New Zealand, but he was in the thick of the action from the first game. Now Stokes missed this two-day practice match under lights against a New Zealand XI, staged to replicate conditions in next week’s day-night first Test, because bowling has taken a toll on his back. Stokes will play in Auckland but, unless he is able to bowl tomorrow, it could be solely as a batsman. Mark Wood took the new ball here ahead of Stuart Broad, partly as an audition if an extra seamer is needed here but also as part of future planning. ‘I was surprised,’ said Wood. ‘Joe Root said if the two guys (Anderson and Broad) finish at the same time we won’t want two fresh opening bowlers.’ England will have been pleased to have reduced a decent New Zealand XI to 30 for five, four of them Test players, but less so when they let them off the hook. England were held up first by a century from Tom Blundell and then Jamieson. Moeen Ali was punished as New Zealand reached 358 for eight before batting a second time, losing 10 wickets in all. England were due to bat all day today. ‘I’ve never seen a tail-ender hit so cleanly,’ said Wood of Jamieson, who called his first century at this level ‘surreal’ and added: ‘Jimmy had some nice words to say. It’s quite cool to have someone of that stature having words with me.’ Meanwhile, former Australia leggie Stuart MacGill was due to arrive today to work with England’s spinners.