New Zealand are struggling with a worsening Covid-19 outbreak ahead of next week’s third Test against England after Devon Conway became the latest member of the touring party to test positive.
The batsman has started five days of isolation after taking his test in London on Wednesday evening.
Conway joined all-rounder Michael Bracewell and support staff personnel Vijay Vallabh (physio) and Chris Donaldson (strength & conditioning expert) as members of the touring party to have tested positive for Covid-19. They will travel separately from the team to Leeds on Sunday and provided they recover as expected, will be able to join the team for training at Headingley on Tuesday, ahead of the third and final Test of the series starting from Thursday.
Conway and Bracewell should both be available to play in the final Test at Headingley, which starts on June 23.
“Devon Conway has tested positive for Covid-19 and has begun five days of isolation,” a New Zealand statement said on Thursday.
“The rest of the touring party have returned negative results and will continue following the tour health protocols of symptom reporting and subsequent testing if required.
“No replacement players are being sort at this stage.”
Conway made scores of 46 and 52 batting at number three in the second Test at Trent Bridge, after the regular captain, Kane Williamson tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the match. He had scores of 3 and 13 in the first Test at Lord’s.
New Zealand, the world Test champions, suffered a second successive five-wicket defeat against England at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, which gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Captain Kane Williamson missed the match in Nottingham after testing positive for Covid.
New Zealand had earlier called pace bowler Blair Tickner and wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver into their Test squad after pace all-rounder Kyle Jamieson (lower back stress reaction) and backup wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher (grade-two right hamstring strain) was ruled out of the rest of the tour at Nottingham.
After losing Tests at the Lord’s and Trent Bridge by an identical margin of five wickets, New Zealand, the reigning winners of the World Test Championship (WTC), have lost the series to England. The visitors will now aim for some points in terms of WTC tally in the last match of their tour at Leeds and avoid a clean sweep to sign off from England on a high.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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