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
Leeds: Joe Root said on Wednesday that England would look to carry on from where they left off against New Zealand at Lord's during the second and final Test at his Headingley home ground. England skittled out New Zealand for just 68 at Lord's on Sunday to secure a 170-run win that left them 1-0 up in a two-match series heading into the second Test, which starts on Friday. "The...
09:31 PM, May 22, 2013
London: England named an unchanged squad for the second Test against New Zealand starting on Friday after batsman Ian Bell was declared fit following a bout of tonsillitis. Bell climbed out of his sick bed to take his place at the crease in the first Test won in stunning fashion by England on Sunday but had been a doubt for Headingley. Yorkshire batsman Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root will get...
03:06 PM, May 21, 2013
CLICK HERE for live ball-by-ball updates from day four of the first Test between England and New Zealand being played at Lord's in London. Day 3 Round-up: James Anderson and Steven Finn continued the good work from the previous day and bowled out New Zealand for 207. England's second innings did not get the start it needed as both openers Alastair Cook and Nick Compton departed in quick successions. Joe...
02:48 PM, May 19, 2013
London: After two days of being oppressed by New Zealand, England broke the stranglehold in impressive style to take charge halfway through the first Test at Lord's on Saturday. First, New Zealand was dismissed for 207 to give England a first-innings lead of 25, a significant amount on a tricky, soft pitch. That lead was then boosted from 25 to 205, as Joe Root and Jonathan Trott found runs easy...
11:36 PM, May 18, 2013
CLICK HERE for live ball-by-ball updates from day three of the first Test between England and New Zealand being played at Lord's in London. Day 2 Round-up: James Anderson took his 300th Test wicket and then ended a bold counter-attack by New Zealand's Ross Taylor as England fought back in the first Test at Lord's. The two players lit up a Lord's bathed in artificial floodlight to counter the overhead...
03:06 PM, May 18, 2013
London: James Anderson took his 300th Test wicket and then ended a bold counter-attack by New Zealand's Ross Taylor as England fought back in the first Test at Lord's. The two players lit up a Lord's bathed in artificial floodlight to counter the overhead gloom of Friday's second day which ended with New Zealand 153 for four in reply to England's first innings 232, a deficit of 79 runs. Anderson...
11:50 PM, May 17, 2013
James Anderson took his 300th Test wicket and then ended a bold counter-attack by New Zealand's Ross Taylor as England fought back in the first Test at Lord's. The two players lit up a Lord's bathed in artificial floodlight to counter the overhead gloom of Friday's second day which ended with New Zealand 153 for four in reply to England's first innings 232, a deficit of 79 runs. CLICK HERE...
03:10 PM, May 17, 2013
London: Joe Root maintained his case for inclusion in the England team to play New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's next week by scoring 179 for the second-string England Lions in a draw against the tourists at Grace Road on Sunday. Root, the Lions captain, was named Saturday in a 12-man squad for the first of a two-Test series which culminates later this month at the Yorkshire batsman's...
09:11 AM, May 13, 2013
England leveled the series 1-1 with an eight-wicket win in Napier to set up a decider on Saturday. ...
03:34 PM, Feb 20, 2013
An unbeaten 121-run stand between Jonathan Trott and Joe Root took England home after James Anderson had picked up a five-for. ...
02:24 PM, Feb 20, 2013
Joe Root feels key to his success lies in the ability to adapt to different situations quickly. ...
04:49 PM, Jan 26, 2013
Ravindra Jadeja took 3 for 19 and Ishant finished with 2 for 29 as England were all out for 155 in 42.2 overs. ...
03:30 PM, Jan 19, 2013
The 23-year-old Bairstow has been replaced in the squad by Joe Root. ...
07:04 PM, Dec 28, 2012
Debutant Joe Root said that adapting to situations as quickly as possible was the main recipe of his success. ...
06:33 PM, Dec 14, 2012
He took 3/24 as India, in reply to England's 330, closed the day on 87/4 with Gambhir, Sachin, Pujara, Sehwag all back in the hut. ...
11:36 AM, Dec 14, 2012
Nick Compton says he's satisfied that he could stay on the wicket for sufficient time and score an unbeaten half-century against Mumbai A. ...
06:22 PM, Nov 05, 2012
The Group B match between Mumbai Indians and Yorkshire in the Champions League Twenty20 was called off due to inclement weather. ...
01:00 AM, Oct 19, 2012
Nick Compton finished the domestic season as the County Championship's top scorer with an impressive 1,191 runs from 11 matches. ...
08:52 AM, Sep 19, 2012
Root has been tipped as a potential replacement for retired skipper Andrew Strauss at the top of the England batting order. ...
11:52 PM, Sep 17, 2012
