NZ v WI: Tickner stretchered off with suspected shoulder dislocation on Day 1 of Wellington Test
Wellington, Dec 10
New Zealand faced another significant injury setback as fast bowler Blair Tickner suffered a suspected dislocation of his left shoulder and was carried off the field on a stretcher during Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies at Basin Reserve on Wednesday.
Tickner was the standout performer on the opening day of the second Test, as he claimed a four-wicket haul but injured himself in the 67th over while attempting to prevent a boundary at fine leg. Chasing a flick from Tevon Imlach, he dived full-length near the rope and stayed down immediately. The medical staff from the New Zealand camp and the venue attended to him on the boundary edge before he was stretchered off. He later left the ground in an ambulance, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Tickner's injury comes at a time when New Zealand have already lost Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner, and Nathan Smith for the rest of the Test series owing to their respective injuries. Henry (calf tear) and Smith (side strain) sustained their injuries during the drawn first Test in Christchurch, while Santner (groin) was ruled out before the match. Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was also ruled out of the second Test after he suffered the injury while batting in the first Test in Christchurch last week.
New Zealand made five changes to their XI for the second Test, with Mitchell Hay and Michael Rae making their Test debuts. Hay took the gloves from the injured Tom Blundell, while seamer Rae made his maiden New Zealand appearance in place of the injured Henry. Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Tickner came in for Smith, Michael Bracewell and Will Young.
Riding on Tickner's 4-32 and Rae's 3-66, New Zealand bowled out the West Indies at 205 after 75 overs in their first innings. New Zealand ended the day at 24 for no loss.
After the first Test ended in a draw, both teams are searching for their first win in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
— IANS
Reader Comments
That's a scary injury. Diving full-length like that takes so much courage. The medical response sounded prompt, which is good. Wishing him a speedy recovery. ðŸ It's sad to see so many players getting injured in one series.
Injuries are part of the game, but this is too much for one team. Henry, Santner, Smith, Blundell, and now Tickner? Their bench strength is really being tested. Good to see the debutants stepping up though. Rae took 3 wickets!
As a cricket fan, this is heartbreaking. He was the star of the day and then this happens. Shows the physical demands of Test cricket. Hope the scheduling and workload are looked at by all boards, not just for stars but for every player.
Respect for Tickner's commitment on the field. Giving 100% even to save a boundary. That's the spirit. But honestly, with the packed calendar, are players getting enough time for proper conditioning? This is a question for the administrators.
Wellington's Basin Reserve is a beautiful ground. Sad to see such a serious incident there. New Zealand still managed to bowl WI out for 205, which is a credit to their team spirit despite all the setbacks. The game goes on.
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