KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand cricket side have suffered a setback after newly arrived skipper Daniel Vettori required stitches to close a finger wound sustained during day two of the tour match against Essex at Chelmsford yesterday.
Vettori was whisked away to a local hospital during the final session after injuring the index finger on his bowling hand while backing up in the field.
He required two stitches for a softtissue injury and is almost certainly out of the final warm-up match against the England Lions next week, although he should be fit for the first test at Lord's starting on May 15.
"There was a bit of blood, but we thought maybe he might have done some other damage - so we wanted to get it x-rayed to see maybe whether there was a problem with the tendon or bone," said team manager Lindsay Crocker.
Vettori is expected to have the stitches removed in about a week, shortening his practice before the opening of the three-match series.
He took one for 23 from 11 - an analysis which will be his only bowling in English conditions before Lord's. The captain was
a late arrival in England due to commitments with the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.
He made 22 in New Zealand's first innings of 355 - a total boosted by a 49-run partnership for the 10th wicket between bowlers Michael Mason and Iain O'Brien.
Right-armer Mason, seeking inclusion in the first test line-up, removed openers Jason Gallian (9) and England incumbent Alastair Cook (15) to have the hosts in trouble at 24 for two.
He ended the day with four for 59 from 19 overs, while O'Brien had three for 46 including the scalp of top scorer Ravi Bopara for 66.
Essex were 251 for nine at stumps after their tail also added some welcome late runs. Alex Tudor and Tony Palladino added 53 for the ninth wicket before former test paceman Tudor was caught behind by McCullum off Mason deep in the final session.
New Zealand lead by 104 runs at the halfway point and will be seeking to wrap up the innings early before indulging in some valuable batting practice.
* Steve Harmison says he is likely to quit cricket if he fails to win back his England place. The Durham paceman was dropped after England lost the first test in New Zealand in March, and in his absence the team won two matches in a row to take the series 2-1.
"The prospect of playing for England is what drives me, and if I felt my chance of doing that was gone, the probability is I'd retire from first-class cricket altogether.
"This is not an ultimatum or me trying to impose conditions on anyone. But I am 29 now and if I felt my England career was over I would be tempted to say I want to do something different with my life."
- NZPA
