Mitchell Santner retained for Pakistan Tests as WTC Final looms

[MenInG]

Santner retained for Pakistan Tests as WTC Final looms

The BLACKCAPS push for a spot in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final comes to a climax this festive season with two Tests against Pakistan rounding out their campaign.

The first assignment for the 13-player squad is the iconic Boxing Day Test which will hosted at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui for the first time, before the New Year’s Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on January 3.

Following consecutive two-nil series wins over the West Indies this month and India earlier this year, Kane Williamson’s men sit just behind India in third on the WTC points table.

A series sweep against Pakistan and a heavy defeat for India in Australia would see the BLACKCAPS well placed to return to Lord’s in London for another ICC Final.

Fresh from his 50th Test, Papamoa resident Neil Wagner said he couldn’t wait for December 26.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than a Boxing Day Test on your home ground,” the world’s third-ranked Test bowler enthused.

“The community have really got behind Bay Oval and to see a bumper crowd there on Boxing Day will be pretty special as a local player.

“The Test team have played some really good cricket of late and to have an opportunity to push for a World Test Championship Final is truly exciting.

“Pakistan are a dangerous side with class players throughout their line-up - so we know we’ll have to be at the top of our game.”

BLACKCAPS coach Gary Stead said there was understandably plenty of anticipation ahead of the series.

“There’s lots of interest - which is great for Test cricket in this country,” Stead said.

“We’ve got a very settled and experienced group of players who have done the job in our conditions for a long time – so I know they’ll just be focusing on the task at hand rather than worrying about too much down the line.

“The toughest squad selection was clearly around the spinner. That basically came down to the balance of the side and with the four-strong pace attack going so nicely, we wanted to have a spinning all-rounder as an option for that number seven position.

“It’s really unfortunate for Ajaz, who has overcome his calf-injury, but the all-round ability of Mitchell Santner is our preferred option for this series. The fact Ajaz hasn’t been able to have any game-time in the lead-up was also a concern for the selectors.

“Our rise through the Test rankings is a great achievement, but we know the challenge is now to back that up against a quality Pakistan side.

“It’s really exciting to see so much interest in the Test team and I know both games at Bay Oval and Hagley Oval will be special occasions for all involved.”

Captain Kane Williamson returns to the side after missing the second Test against West Indies in Wellington to be with his wife Sarah ahead of the birth of their first child. His inclusion means Devon Conway drops out of the squad with Will Young continuing as the batting cover.

Daryl Mitchell remains as the pace-bowling all-rounder in place of Colin de Grandhomme who was last week ruled out of the series with a stress-reaction to his right ankle.

The Test squad assembles in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday ahead of the first PSO Carient Test starting at Bay Oval on Saturday, December 26.

BLACKCAPS TEST SQUAD
Kane Williamson (c)
Tom Blundell
Trent Boult
Kyle Jamieson
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Henry Nicholls
Mitchell Santner
Tim Southee
Ross Taylor
Neil Wagner
BJ Watling (wk)
Will Young

 

[szrana007]

Santner retained for Pakistan Tests as WTC Final looms

The BLACKCAPS push for a spot in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final comes to a climax this festive season with two Tests against Pakistan rounding out their campaign.

The first assignment for the 13-player squad is the iconic Boxing Day Test which will hosted at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui for the first time, before the New Year’s Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on January 3.

Following consecutive two-nil series wins over the West Indies this month and India earlier this year, Kane Williamson’s men sit just behind India in third on the WTC points table.

A series sweep against Pakistan and a heavy defeat for India in Australia would see the BLACKCAPS well placed to return to Lord’s in London for another ICC Final.

Fresh from his 50th Test, Papamoa resident Neil Wagner said he couldn’t wait for December 26.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than a Boxing Day Test on your home ground,” the world’s third-ranked Test bowler enthused.

“The community have really got behind Bay Oval and to see a bumper crowd there on Boxing Day will be pretty special as a local player.

“The Test team have played some really good cricket of late and to have an opportunity to push for a World Test Championship Final is truly exciting.

“Pakistan are a dangerous side with class players throughout their line-up - so we know we’ll have to be at the top of our game.”

BLACKCAPS coach Gary Stead said there was understandably plenty of anticipation ahead of the series.

“There’s lots of interest - which is great for Test cricket in this country,” Stead said.

“We’ve got a very settled and experienced group of players who have done the job in our conditions for a long time – so I know they’ll just be focusing on the task at hand rather than worrying about too much down the line.

“The toughest squad selection was clearly around the spinner. That basically came down to the balance of the side and with the four-strong pace attack going so nicely, we wanted to have a spinning all-rounder as an option for that number seven position.

“It’s really unfortunate for Ajaz, who has overcome his calf-injury, but the all-round ability of Mitchell Santner is our preferred option for this series. The fact Ajaz hasn’t been able to have any game-time in the lead-up was also a concern for the selectors.

“Our rise through the Test rankings is a great achievement, but we know the challenge is now to back that up against a quality Pakistan side.

“It’s really exciting to see so much interest in the Test team and I know both games at Bay Oval and Hagley Oval will be special occasions for all involved.”

Captain Kane Williamson returns to the side after missing the second Test against West Indies in Wellington to be with his wife Sarah ahead of the birth of their first child. His inclusion means Devon Conway drops out of the squad with Will Young continuing as the batting cover.

Daryl Mitchell remains as the pace-bowling all-rounder in place of Colin de Grandhomme who was last week ruled out of the series with a stress-reaction to his right ankle.

The Test squad assembles in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday ahead of the first PSO Carient Test starting at Bay Oval on Saturday, December 26.

BLACKCAPS TEST SQUAD
Kane Williamson (c)
Tom Blundell
Trent Boult
Kyle Jamieson
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Henry Nicholls
Mitchell Santner
Tim Southee
Ross Taylor
Neil Wagner
BJ Watling (wk)
Will Young

Lol, talk about hyping the opposition, he is talking as if Pakistan is some world beating side.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Santner retained for Pakistan Tests as WTC Final looms

The BLACKCAPS push for a spot in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final comes to a climax this festive season with two Tests against Pakistan rounding out their campaign.

The first assignment for the 13-player squad is the iconic Boxing Day Test which will hosted at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui for the first time, before the New Year’s Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on January 3.

Following consecutive two-nil series wins over the West Indies this month and India earlier this year, Kane Williamson’s men sit just behind India in third on the WTC points table.

A series sweep against Pakistan and a heavy defeat for India in Australia would see the BLACKCAPS well placed to return to Lord’s in London for another ICC Final.

Fresh from his 50th Test, Papamoa resident Neil Wagner said he couldn’t wait for December 26.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than a Boxing Day Test on your home ground,” the world’s third-ranked Test bowler enthused.

“The community have really got behind Bay Oval and to see a bumper crowd there on Boxing Day will be pretty special as a local player.

“The Test team have played some really good cricket of late and to have an opportunity to push for a World Test Championship Final is truly exciting.

“Pakistan are a dangerous side with class players throughout their line-up - so we know we’ll have to be at the top of our game.”

BLACKCAPS coach Gary Stead said there was understandably plenty of anticipation ahead of the series.

“There’s lots of interest - which is great for Test cricket in this country,” Stead said.

“We’ve got a very settled and experienced group of players who have done the job in our conditions for a long time – so I know they’ll just be focusing on the task at hand rather than worrying about too much down the line.

“The toughest squad selection was clearly around the spinner. That basically came down to the balance of the side and with the four-strong pace attack going so nicely, we wanted to have a spinning all-rounder as an option for that number seven position.

“It’s really unfortunate for Ajaz, who has overcome his calf-injury, but the all-round ability of Mitchell Santner is our preferred option for this series. The fact Ajaz hasn’t been able to have any game-time in the lead-up was also a concern for the selectors.

“Our rise through the Test rankings is a great achievement, but we know the challenge is now to back that up against a quality Pakistan side.

“It’s really exciting to see so much interest in the Test team and I know both games at Bay Oval and Hagley Oval will be special occasions for all involved.”

Captain Kane Williamson returns to the side after missing the second Test against West Indies in Wellington to be with his wife Sarah ahead of the birth of their first child. His inclusion means Devon Conway drops out of the squad with Will Young continuing as the batting cover.

Daryl Mitchell remains as the pace-bowling all-rounder in place of Colin de Grandhomme who was last week ruled out of the series with a stress-reaction to his right ankle.

The Test squad assembles in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday ahead of the first PSO Carient Test starting at Bay Oval on Saturday, December 26.

BLACKCAPS TEST SQUAD
Kane Williamson (c)
Tom Blundell
Trent Boult
Kyle Jamieson
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Henry Nicholls
Mitchell Santner
Tim Southee
Ross Taylor
Neil Wagner
BJ Watling (wk)
Will Young

As usual, it looks like a threatening squad. This is New Zealand, they aren't too kind to visitors. However, there is only one way Pakistan can salvage something out of this series.

New Zealand have an all-round very good team. They have good batsmen, an amazing fast-bowling arsenal, and some spin to accompany that.

The only way Pakistan can win or even draw this series is to hunker down and play competent cricket.

In our bowling, we need to get everything right. The shine of the ball is only there temporarily, and it should be given to Abbas as much as possible, as he is utterly useless when the ball goes soft. We made the mistake of introducing Naseem relatively early on against England, and I hope that the management understands that Abbas is the best candidate to bowl extensive overs up front with the new ball.

Shaheen should operate with Abbas and the middle overs should be for Faheem Ashraf and Amad Butt/Naseem Shah. Those two can easily bowl with the old ball, and if needed, we can have Haris Sohail or Fawad Alam chime in with a few overs as well.

The way I see it is to target the weakest link, which is Tom Blundell. Focus all the energy towards making him cave, so that Williamson can be exposed early on. The hardest challenge is breaking through Williamson and Latham. Both can just defend everything for an entire session, so this is where we need to be careful. We cannot let them settle whatsoever, which is why I'd bring on Naseem for a short but quick spell of short-pitched bowling at the ribs and chest. Unsettle one of Williamson or Latham and hopefully get a wicket like that.

Bowling first is a difficult task, but batting first is the same as well.

Whoever our openers are will have to make sure that they do not get out whatsoever. They need to last the first session in order to dominate the New Zealand bowling, which becomes more ineffective when the ball becomes softer. That would allow the middle order to score runs and take their time. If we bat first, we need to bat for at least 4 sessions and accumulate around 350-400 runs. We can take more time as well if we see something in a wicket.

One thing which I don't see an issue with is batting for two days up front, because New Zealand need the points to win, and they will try to score as quickly as possible. We don't really care if we win or lose, but they do, which is why we should pressure them to accelerate and make mistakes by themselves. That is an unexplored tactic which could work as well. Either way, if we draw both games, it would be quite something.

Our squad should look something like this:
Shan Masood
Abid Ali
Imran Butt
Azhar Ali
Fawad Alam
Haris Sohail/Shadab Khan
Mohammad Rizwan
Faheem Ashraf
Amad Butt/Naseem Shah
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Mohammad Abbas

If we want to play Shadab Khan, we'd have to drop Haris. The only way I'd do that were if we played Amad Butt and Faheem Ashraf in the same match, as both can bowl lengthy overs to cover up our bowling attack, and if the pitch looks less green than a football pitch.

 

[Saj]

Very strong squad.

The only weakness that there possibly could be is if it's a turning track and they are relying on Santner.

 

[shamaan]

I would go with this.

Abid ali
Shan masood
Imran butt
Azhar
Fawad/Haris sohail
Rizwan
Shadab
Ashraf/butt
Abbas
Shaheen
Naseem

 

[Omer2002]

It will never be a turning track you could see that from windies tests...santner is there for his batting and incase for bowling...

 

[MenInG]

BLACKCAPS spinner Ish Sodhi has a confirmed strain to his left hamstring, sustained while fielding in the third T20I against Pakistan in Napier last night.

Sodhi has returned to Christchurch today and will have scans to ascertain the extent of the strain and the recovery plan, although he’s expected to be out for at least two weeks.

Opening batsman Martin Guptill suffered a laceration to the pad of his right index finger while trying to stop a ball in the field in the same match.

Guptill had the wound cleaned and closed on the night and his rehabilitation will be determined following the results of an x-ray on the injury.

 

[Mujtaba2900]

BLACKCAPS spinner Ish Sodhi has a confirmed strain to his left hamstring, sustained while fielding in the third T20I against Pakistan in Napier last night.

Sodhi has returned to Christchurch today and will have scans to ascertain the extent of the strain and the recovery plan, although he’s expected to be out for at least two weeks.

Opening batsman Martin Guptill suffered a laceration to the pad of his right index finger while trying to stop a ball in the field in the same match.

Guptill had the wound cleaned and closed on the night and his rehabilitation will be determined following the results of an x-ray on the injury.

Injuries! Injuries Everywhere this month from Australia ,India To Pakistan and NZ

 

[MenInG]

Black Caps test No5 Henry Nicholls had some silent partners powering him on to his highest score last week.
The 29-year-old Cantabrian helped set up a comfortable win against the West Indies in the second test at the Basin Reserve with a career high 174.

It was important innings in several different contexts.

The home side was labouring at 78 for three when the left-hander arrived at the crease.

There was no Kane Williamson to help rescue the innings.

New Zealand needed to win to keep its prospects of playing in the World Test Championship final alive.

And then there was all the external pressure mounting from players like Devon Conway and Will Young, who keep scoring runs.

Glenn Phillips and Otago’s Hamish Rutherford can be added to the list of players who would not shame a test spot either.

They are the silent partners who keep driving the team forward, Nicholls said.

"It is great the depth that is going around at the moment," he said.

"It is a great sign that the domestic game is producing players who are ready and raring to go in international cricket.

"[It] keeps pushing the team forward and keeps pushing the players."

Nicholls joined fellow test players who were not involved in the Pakistan T20 series at a training session for the Boxing Day test in Mount Maunganui yesterday.

He was asked about his match-winning century against the West Indies and whether he approached the innings differently.

"I’m just trying to play the way I always play and sometimes that comes off and sometimes it doesn’t," he responded.

"It was nice to be part of that test win and series win, but this is a different opponent, a different ground and starting on Boxing Day, which is another challenge that we have to get ready for during the next couple of days.

"We know heading into these tests they are obviously important in the context of [the World Test Championship]. But any time we play test cricket the focus goes on that individual match and that series."

■ Black Caps spinner Ish Sodhi strained his left hamstring while fielding in the third T20 against Pakistan in Napier on Tuesday night.

He has returned to Christchurch and will have scans to ascertain the extent of the strain, although he is expected to be out for at least two weeks.

Opening batsman Martin Guptill injured a finger while trying to stop a ball in the field in the same match.

The extent of his injury was still being determined yesterday.

https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/challengers-drive-black-caps-nicholls-says

 

[MenInG]

It’s not often you see Kane Williamson stumped, but a simple question had him scrambling for an answer on Christmas Eve, ahead of the Boxing Day test against Pakistan.

When was the last time the Black Caps captain celebrated Christmas at home in the Bay of Plenty, as he will this year, with that match taking place at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui?

It wasn’t last year, when he and his team-mates were in Melbourne, getting thumped by Australia in their annual festive period fixture. And it wasn’t in 2018, when they last hosted a Boxing Day test of their own, against Sri Lanka in Christchurch.

The answer – though it eluded him – was probably 2017, when he was allowed a week off while the Black Caps completed an ODI series against the West Indies that included a match on Boxing Day in Christchurch.

But he’d be right to scratch his head, because Saturday’s match at his home ground will mark the sixth time he’s worked on Boxing Day in the past seven years, due to the unavoidable clash between the holiday period and the peak of the cricket season.

Black Caps Captain Kane Williamson returns to training after the birth of his first child.
The silver lining this time around is that he’s not on the road, something that is extra convenient when you consider that he’s still in his first few weeks as a father, after welcoming his first child – a daughter – alongside wife Sarah earlier in December.

Williamson said on Thursday that he was still “learning the ropes” when it comes to fatherhood and that he was looking forward to spending Christmas with family before getting down to business a day later.

“Playing a Boxing Day test at home is really special and so is having Christmas at home.

“It's a slightly different feeling when you have Christmas and you're in a hotel room somewhere and it will be really nice to spend it with family this year and I know pretty much all the guys have their families around as well to do that.”

Williamson missed the Black Caps’ second test against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, after he decided to stay in Tauranga with his wife on the eve of their daughter’s arrival.

He’d played a big hand in their win in the first test, making 251, his highest test score, but they coped just fine without him as they secured a win by an innings and 12 runs and a clean sweep of the two-match series.

“It’s always mixed watching, though I had other things on my mind, which was great,” Williamson said.

“You miss the guys when you’re used to playing with each other, but then it was really, really nice to see them play so well and work through a number of tough periods on a wicket that was sporting.

“It’s important that we reassess and see where we need to be on a new surface and against a strong side in Pakistan.”

The Black Caps have one decision to make as they celebrate Christmas on Friday – whether to stick with an all-seam attack and play Daryl Mitchell in the all-rounder’s spot, or to bring in spinning all-rounder Mitchell Santner, who took three wickets and made his only test century at Bay Oval in the only previous test at the ground, against England last November.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...n-glad-for-special-opportunity-this-christmas

 

[MenInG]

Two Black Caps are on the verge of bringing up important milestones, but one has more to do than the other when the first test against Pakistan starts on Boxing Day.

Ross Taylor simply has to make it to Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui in one piece to become the most-capped Black Cap in history, with 438 international appearances to his name across all three formats.

As things stand, he is tied with Daniel Vettori, who has held that mantle since he took it off Stephen Fleming in 2011, on 437.

It doesn't get handed down often – and it might very well never be handed down again.

Martin Guptill, now a white-ball specialist, has made 324 appearances over the years, while Kane Williamson will make his 295th on Boxing Day and Tim Southee his 294th, but there's less international cricket played now than there was in the early years of Taylor's career, and it will take a hell of an effort for someone to catch him.

The obvious caveat is that we don't know what the future of the game will look like. Many would never have foreseen Twenty20 becoming what it has and appearances records could fall in flash if the Black Caps of 2050 find themselves playing multiple Five5 matches a day.

“I was really happy to play one or two games for New Zealand,” was what Taylor said when the milestone was raised with him in November.

“I've still got to get there first, but my mentor, Martin Crowe, always used to say records are meant to be broken for the next guy to come beat."

The other Black Cap nearing a milestone is the second-longest serving member of the side, Southee, who finds himself four scalps short of claiming 300 test wickets.

Only Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361) have got there from New Zealand previously, though Trent Boult (272) will almost certainly join them in time.

Southee began the year watching on from the sidelines in Sydney, where he was rested amid concerns over his workload, a decision he personally described as "disappointing".

He has featured in every test since then, taking 4-49 and 5-61 then 2-38 and 3-36 against India at the end of last summer and claiming player of the series honours, then 4-35 and 1-62 and 5-32 and 2-96 against the West Indies – a total of 26 wickets in four matches.

Even if he goes without a wicket in the Mount, 2020 will be the most productive year of Southee's test career – he’s taken an average of 6.5 wickets per match and 3.25 wickets per innings, marks he hasn’t come close to previously.

Speaking to Stuff on Christmas Eve, the 32-year-old said the long break between matches over the winter due to the Covid-19 pandemic had proved helpful.

Black Caps Captain Kane Williamson returns to training after the birth of his first child.
“You try to look at the positives and I think it was quite nice to have that forced rest and let the body recover and freshen up, then to do some work over the winter to come back and fire into this season.

“As an international sportsman, you're always looking at ways to get better and you're always looking at ways to improve your game and each year you reflect back.

“It's obviously nice to take wickets, but at times you can still feel pretty good and feel like you're doing a good job, but you may not necessarily have anything in the wickets column.

“It's coming out pretty well at the moment and hopefully that can continue throughout the summer.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...taylor-and-tim-southee-nearing-big-milestones

 

[MenInG]

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand’s late push for a place in next year’s International Cricket Council’s World Test Championship final will come to a head against an injury-hit Pakistan when their two-test series begins on Saturday in Mount Maunganui.

Kane Williamson’s side are third behind Australia and India and need to win both the first game at Bay Oval and then the second from Jan. 3-7 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch to give themselves any chance of making the final at Lord’s.

Williamson, however, was well aware they would also need other results go their way, which may account for him attempting to downplay the underlying significance of the series.

“I think the context of that (the test championship) is great for the game in general,” he told reporters this week. “But our focus ... is to basically start again.

“It’s about coming back to the basics and playing what is in front of us rather than getting too carried away with potential things.”

New Zealand’s chances of sweeping the series have been boosted by the return of top batsman Williamson, who missed the innings and 12-run victory over West Indies in Wellington as he awaited the birth of his first child.

Tim Southee also has added motivation for the first match, with the pace bowling spearhead just four wickets away from joining Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori as the third New Zealand bowler to achieve 300 test wickets.

Pakistan, however, will be without injured captain Babar Azam, opener Imam-Ul-Haq and all-rounder Shadab Khan and stand-in captain Mohammad Rizwan said while they would miss the trio he expected others to take their opportunities.

“We trust them,” he said. “And hope they will play well.”

Rizwan was also not concerned with the heavily grassed wicket block, which could prove advantageous for the home side’s strong pace bowling quartet.

“It doesn’t matter for the pitch if there is a bit of grass,” he said.

“If it’s difficult for us, it’s difficult for New Zealand.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-c...r-test-final-in-pakistan-series-idUKKBN28Z02C

 

[MenInG]

New Zealand left-arm seamer Neil Wagner will undergo an X-ray after being struck on the right foot while batting in the ongoing Test against Pakistan at Mount Maunganui.

Neil Wagner was hit during the third session of the second day’s play. He was checked by the physio and given medication.

 

[angrypathan]

Hate to see injuries, but Shaheen taking out Wagner for this game could be a huge bonus

 

[MenInG]

For a while on the final day of the first test against Pakistan, it looked as though Mitchell Santner would wind up without a wicket in his return to the Black Caps.

Seamers Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner made the breakthroughs at the start of the final session, but after marathon spells, they couldn’t complete the job, so the ball was tossed to the left-arm spinner.

In his 25th over of the match, he trapped Mohammad Abbas LBW to put his side one wicket away, but after his 26th, he was replaced by Tim Southee.

Black Caps all-rounder Mitchell Santner is mobbed after taking the final wicket in Pakistan’s second innings in the first test.
Four overs later he was back – and three balls after that he was leaping in the air to catch Naseem Shah off his own bowling and complete a thrilling 101-run win at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

Sitting alongside captain Kane Williamson afterwards, Santner said: “It was nice to see a couple turn at the end and to contribute to a great bowling effort was good as well”.

But despite his heroics, which included a run out to end a first-innings partnership that was frustrating the Black Caps on day three, it remains to be seen what his role in the test team will be going forward.

Santner was explicitly selected for this series as an all-rounder, as coach Gary Stead and fellow selector Gavin Larsen wanted someone who could bat at No 7 ahead of the team’s four frontline seamers – Jamieson, Southee, Wagner, and Trent Boult – if they encountered a pitch where a spinner was needed.

He got the nod ahead of Daryl Mitchell – the seam-bowling all-rounder deputising for Colin de Grandhomme, who has missed the entire summer so far due to injury – at Bay Oval for that very reason, but their positions are likely to be reversed if the pitch for the second test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch is as green as it usually is.

Fellow left-armer Ajaz Patel seems to be the country’s first-choice spinner in the selectors’ minds, but as long as they won’t consider Kyle Jamieson as a No 7 batsman – and that might not be very long at all, as he again impressed in the Mount, making a patient 39 in his only innings – they can’t select Patel and all four of the seam quartet.

Santner’s wicket-taking ability remains a concern – he had taken just one in his last 94 overs before his late double strike – but he showed on Wednesday that he can come though when needed, just as he did in his last home test at the same venue last November, when he took three English wickets on the penultimate afternoon to help set up a win.

The two late wickets weren’t Santner’s only contribution at Bay Oval, as he also performed a crucial run out to end the seventh-wicket partnership in Pakistan’s first innings, between Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf, who were threatening to deny the Black Caps the lead they needed to push on for a win.

Coach Gary Stead said on Thursday as the team arrived in Christchurch that the run out was one of the “defining moments” in the match.

“[It] actually swung things back and gave us the chance to have a decent lead.

“Mitch is a great fellow, he's got a lot of skills, and he's often pointed to as someone who doesn't necessarily get results in New Zealand, but New Zealand is a tough, tough place for spin bowlers to play in and he offers a lot to our team.”

With Neil Wagner ruled out of the second test after bravely bowling 49 overs with two fractured toes in Mount Maunganui, Santner could retain his place if Stead opts to play two all-rounders instead of bringing a fresh out-and-out seamer, to be named on Friday, into the XI.

He could also simply retain his place ahead of Mitchell, but as the Black Caps have only bowled 80 overs of spin in their seven tests at Hagley Oval, and Kiwi spinners have only accounted for two wickets in that time, it’s difficult to see that happening.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...er-makes-vital-contribution-to-push-test-case

 

[MenInG]

After a year to forget, Black Caps seamer Matt Henry is ready to launch into 2021 by taking the opportunities that present themselves.

The Canterbury bowler was called into the Black Caps test squad today to replace Neil Wagner, ahead of the second test against Pakistan which begins on Sunday in Christchurch.

Wagner was ruled out due to toe injuries suffered in the side's win over Pakistan in the first test at the Bay Oval earlier this week, and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

Henry hasn't appeared for the Black Caps since January last year after sustaining a thumb injury in the final test against Australia, before sustaining a similar injury on his other hand in October.

However, after some time with Canterbury and the New Zealand A squad, Henry is itching to get back into his work at the top level.

"You wouldn't read about it; both thumbs in one year. I'm glad 2020's over, but it's good to be back playing cricket," Henry said.

"Obviously it's a shame with what happened to Waggy's foot, but I'm very excited to be here at home back in the squad."

Henry has large boots to fill should he get the nod to replace Wagner in the playing XI. Since the start of 2018, Wagner has taken 75 wickets at an average of 23.36, often in the role of workhorse with a used ball for the Black Caps.

In the first test against Pakistan, Wagner impressed with his maintained output despite bowling with broken toes in both innings. In the second innings, he bowled 11 overs in a row.

"He brings such a great energy and he's done that for a number of years and he's been able to create such a special role, especially with the older ball, he's been able to always crack an end open," Henry said of Wagner.

"He's been fantastic for the last couple of years and he'll be missed, but it's a great opportunity for whoever gets the chance to play."

Henry has yet to deliver his best performances in 12 tests, with a bowling average of 50.1, but will get the nod if the Black Caps continue to operate with four frontline seamers. The alternative is all-rounder Daryl Mitchell operating as the fourth seam option, to provide greater batting depth.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/cr...-against-pakistan/EN4IN5TCDAJ3RZYZUCGSFZZWUY/