Cricket: Buttler likely to miss final ODI

Jos Buttler has split the webbing on his left hand ahead of the final ODI against New Zealand.

England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has split the webbing on his left hand at training ahead of the deciding fifth one-day international against New Zealand.

He's likely to miss the match as a precaution ahead of the Ashes. Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow has been recalled in what's expected to be a straight swap, leaving fellow gloveman Sam Billings to continue as a specialist batsman.

Buttler has scored 183 runs at an average of 61 and strike rate of 146 during the series, including the second fastest English ODI century off 66 balls at Edgbaston.

Bairstow has eight ODI caps across almost four years. The last came against Ireland in a rain-abandoned fixture last month.

"It would be a blow if Jos didn't make it," pace bowler Mark Wood said. "He's world class, with his energy behind stumps."

"Buttler's been in outstanding form but Bairstow is another good player who has played some valuable games against us," New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor added. "Then again, England got 350 and Buttler didn't even bat in the last game."

Taylor played at Durham in 2010 during England's Twenty20 domestic league, so has some inside knowledge ahead of a forecast which includes some late morning rain.

"The ball tends to swing a bit here, and it is a day match. Southampton [the other day match] was the only ground during this series where the ball swung consistently.

"A lot of our bowlers are swing bowlers whereas the English bowlers don't do it as much. The white ball doesn't always swing and we've got to find other ways of restricting teams."

The highest score at the Riverside ground is 307 for five by England against New Zealand the last time they met here in 2008. No other team has passed 300 in 13 completed fixtures, something Taylor said they needed to consider if batting first.

"When you've had 350 chased down [in the last match at Trent Bridge] it's easy to try to score 360-370, but you've still got to assess the conditions. 320 or 280 could be a winning total. The team which assesses that quickest will go a long way towards winning."

Wood was in the mood to play devil's advocate.

"Does the last win give us an edge? Let's be controversial, yes it does. We'll chase down anything, eh? The manner of the victory at Nottingham was obviously pleasing with six overs left, but we know how dangerous New Zealand are.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about the Ashes, but this is a huge game in terms of the way English cricket has made strides forward."