Steve Finn and Stuard Broad to miss opening one-dayers

 
31 May 2013

Stuard Broad and Steve Finn have been ruled out of England’s first two one-day internationals against New Zealand. The duo will miss today’s opening match at Lord’s and the second, at Southampton, on Sunday.

Broad has a bruised right knee, which he sustained when taking a return catch to dismiss Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum on the final day of the Second Test match at Headingley earlier this week.

Finn, meanwhile, cannot play in these matches because of “shin soreness”. Both players could return for the final encounter in this three-match series, at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. For today’s match, Chris Woakes and Jade Dernbach came into the team. McCullum won the toss and, under cloudy skies, chose to field first.

Broad and Finn are key members of England’s bowling attack and with the Champions Trophy around the corner, it is likely that captain Alastair Cook and one-day coach Ashley Giles have decided to err on the side of caution.

England face Australia in their opening match of the tournament on June 8 and with so little room for mistakes in the eight-team competition, the hosts cannot afford to be without two key players.

Kevin Pietersen continues on the road back to fitness. The batsman was at Lord’s this morning for a second successive session of nets.

New Zealand will be without left-arm seam bowler Trent Boult, who has a side injury, and Daniel Vettori, (achilles). Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi, who made four one-day appearances for Australia, was handed his first cap for the country of his birth.

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