WELLINGTON, New Zealand, CMC – While West Indies are sweating over several injury concerns ahead of the second Test here starting Friday, New Zealand has been boosted by the news veteran wicketkeeper Watling missed the first Test in Hamilton last week through injury, with opener Tom Blundell forced to take the gloves and slide down the order and Will Young called up for his debut at the top.
Black Caps gloveman BJ Watling.
However, Watling said he was now nearly back to full fitness but still needed to undergo a fitness test today.
“It seems to be progressing pretty well,” Watling said of the hamstring injury.
“I’ve been through a few fitness tests and did a bit of training last week during the Test match and it seems to have pulled up pretty good – so we’ll see how the next few days go.
“Pretty much full bat, full wicketkeeping, sprinting – just the stuff that I’ll need to do in a game. It was pretty much a 95 per cent run yesterday and no dramas, so it felt pretty good.”
Once the 35-year-old Watling is passed fit, Blundell will relinquish the gloves and return to the top of the order while Young would miss out.
New Zealand hardly missed Watling in the Seddon Park outing as they crushed West Indies by an innings and 134 runs on the morning of last Sunday’s fourth day.
They piled up 519 for seven declared after being asked to bat first before dismissing the Caribbean cheaply for 138 and 247.
West Indies need to win the second Test at the Basin Reserve to avoid another series defeat but have suffered key blows ahead of the encounter.
Veteran seamer Kemar Roach, the spearhead of the pace attack, has returned home following the death of his father while first choice wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich has also left the tour for “personal reasons”.
Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer, who was struck in the second T20 International last month, remains under concussion protocols while all-rounder Keemo Paul is struggling with a groin strain.
