Henry, Phillips ruled out of New Zealand’s series decider against England due to injuries

New Zealand suffered a massive blow ahead of the series-deciding Test against England at Trent Bridge, with Matt Henry and Glenn Phillips ruled out due to late injuries. Mitchell Santner, Blair Tickner, and Ben Sears join the playing XI

Nottingham: In a major blow to New Zealand, senior pacer Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Glenn Phillips have been ruled out of their crucial series-deciding Test match against England at Trent Bridge due to various injuries.

Henry, who grabbed the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test rankings and claimed 11 wickets in a 253-run win in the second Test at The Oval, will miss out due to a calf injury, while Phillips has been sidelined with a side strain injury.

---

“Matt Henry will miss the third test against England at Trent Bridge due to a calf injury. Henry felt pain during the second Test at the Oval, and subsequent scans on his left calf revealed a low-grade muscle strain. Initial assessment suggests a recovery time of two to four weeks.

“Glenn Phillips will miss the third Test against England at Trent Bridge due to a side strain injury. Phillips felt side pain during the second Test at The Oval. Further assessment will determine Phillips’ return-to-play timeline,” said a statement from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Thursday, 15 minutes ahead of toss time.

With the duo out and Kyle Jamieson rested due to workload management after successive back stress fractures, New Zealand have included Mitchell Santner, Blair Tickner, and Ben Sears, who was the travelling reserve, in their playing eleven for the clash against England, where they have elected to bat first.

England, meanwhile, have got back skipper Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson after they missed the second Test due to an ECB investigation into a nightclub incident following a team curfew breach post the 115-run win at Lord’s.

Stokes and Atkinson have since been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Cricket Regulator. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith returns to the England lineup after paternity leave, while specialist off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has also been picked.