NZ pacer Kyle Jamieson to miss final Test against England due to back injury
Jun 15, 2022
Nottingham [UK], June 15 : New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson will be missing out on the third and the final Test match against England after an MRI scan revealed a stress reaction to his lower left-back.
The 27-year-old sustained the injury while bowling on day three of the second Test against England and coach Gary Stead expected he would require four to six weeks of rest before beginning a rehabilitation program targeting a potential return to play in September or October.
Central Stags pace bowler Blair Tickner, who was with the Test side in England for the early tour games, has been called into the squad as Jamieson's replacement and will arrive in the UK prior to the third Test at Leeds next week.
Apart from Jamieson, wicket-keeper Cam Fletcher has also been ruled out of the tour with a grade-two right-hamstring strain. Dane Cleaver has received his maiden Test call-up as his replacement.
"It's always sad to see players forced to leave a tour early with injury. Kyle had played such a big role in the first Test at Lord's and I know how disappointed he was to have had his involvement in the second Test curtailed. He's obviously a huge asset for us and we'll be making sure we are patient with his recovery to ensure he returns fully fit with plenty more important cricket still to come later this year," said coach Stead in an official statement.
"It's exciting for Blair and Dane to be joining us for the final Test at Headingley next week. Blair was with us for the first part of the tour and his skills will be a valuable asset to the squad. It will be Dane's first experience with the Test side and I know he can't wait to get here and soak it up," he added.
Coming to the second Test, Jonny Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes shined for England with the bat, helping their side defeat New Zealand by five wickets and clinch the three-match series.
It was a see-saw contest between the Kiwis and England. While mammoth 500-plus scores during the first innings of both sides suggested that the match could head to a draw, New Zealand ended up setting a challenging target of 299, which England chased down with five wickets and more than 20 overs to spare.
