Leeds: Spinner and former skipper Daniel Vettori ruled himself out of the second Test at Headingley, ensuring New Zealand will take on England with an all-pace attack from Friday. Vettori's decision to put the team first rather than play a 112th Test and become the sole New Zealand record-holder for caps, means fast bowler Doug Bracewell will complement a seam attack with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
"It's a gamble but when you're 1-0 down you've got to take it," captain Brendon McCullum said on Thursday. He will keep wicket for the first time in nearly three years, taking over from the injured BJ Watling. McCullum stressed it was a one-off situation, and hoped to manage the back complaint which forced him to drop the gloves in 2010.
With Martin Guptill taking Watling's place in the lineup, the usual opener will bat at No. 6, followed by McCullum. New Zealand hoped that when Vettori joined them on Tuesday for the coming one-day series that he could replace the injured Bruce Martin. But Vettori's practices came up short. He hasn't played a Test since July, missing the tour of South Africa with an Achilles' complaint and the home series against England with ankle tendinitis. Lately, he was a mere net bowler in the Indian Premier League.
"He didn't scrub up that well today," McCullum said. "He gave it his best shot. He's not quite confident he'll be able to get through five days and didn't want
08:35 AM, May 24, 2013
London: Doug Bracewell claimed an impressive four-wicket haul on the second day of New Zealand's warm-up match with Derbyshire on Sunday to strengthen his claim for a place in the tourists' Test side. Having declared on 289 for 5 on day one, New Zealand bowled the English county side out for 154 as Bracewell finished with figures of 4 for 28. By the close of play, they were 199 for...
08:47 AM, May 06, 2013
New Zealand were on the verge of successive innings defeats after their fragile batting again succumbed to South Africa's bowling unit in Port Elizabeth. ... 
Mathews's defiant knock ended at 84 as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 167 runs to level the series. The hosts won the first Test by ten wickets. ... 
New Zealand's new-ball pair took out Sri Lanka's top four wickets inside 14 overs to give the visitors a big chance of leveling the series on day five. ... 
The Bracewells of New Zealand from the same family have dismissed Sachin in Test cricket over a span of 22 years. ... 
Sunil Narine demolished New Zealand in the fifth ODI as West Indies pipped NZ by 20 runs and won the five-match ODI series 4-1. ... 
New Zealand's tour of England in 2013 is set to clash with the sixth season of the IPL. ... 
