New Zealand’s injury troubles continued when ace fast bowler Matt Henry suffered a hamstring injury, forcing him to miss the team’s 190-run defeat against South Africa in Pune. Henry pulled up midway through his sixth over due to discomfort in his right hamstring and, after a brief on-field consultation with the team physio, limped off the field and did not play the remainder of the innings. He did, however, bat at No.11 and faced nine balls. Henry will have an MRI scan within the next 24 hours to determine the extent of his injuries, according to Live Cricket Score.
Henry was not the only casualty on the day in what has been an injury-plagued campaign for the 2019 finalists, who now face a tense final week to qualify for this edition’s final four. After being struck by the ball, James Neesham, who finished Henry’s over and went on to bowl five more, suffered a bruised right wrist. Although an x-ray revealed no broken bones, the injury forced him to drop to No. 9 in the batting order, where he recorded an eight-ball duck.
During the course of their encounter in Pune, New Zealand was effectively left with exactly 11 fit team members. Mark Chapman (calf injury) and Kane Williamson (thumb injury) were both ruled out of the game. They will be evaluated again in Bengaluru before of the vital match against Pakistan on Saturday.
Lockie Ferguson, who was replaced in the XI by Tim Southee, also had scans on his right Achilles, which revealed no substantial injury, and he is expected to be eligible for the Black Caps’ next game.
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