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NOTTINGHAM - Batsman Peter Fulton won a test recall while New Zealand teammates Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee survived injury scares ahead of the third cricket test against England here tonight (NZT).
Fulton was confirmed to bat No 3 at the expense of the out-of-form James Marshall, while team management will wait until match morning at Trent Bridge to decide between Southee and Iain O'Brien for the final pace bowling spot.
Southee suffered a minor gash below his left knee from teammate Daniel Flynn's spikes during a fielding drill, but the wound was cleaned and bandaged and no stitches were required.
Assuming he suffers no after-effects, the 19-year-old should edge out O'Brien in renowned swing-friendly conditions, meaning two changes from the six-wicket defeat in Manchester.
McCullum was also passed fit to keep wicket after captain Daniel Vettori declared him a doubtful starter earlier in the day due to an ongoing back problem.
Gareth Hopkins was placed on standby but wasn't named in the 12 after McCullum came through a searching fitness test with the gloves under welcome sunny skies.
Fulton, 29, played the last of his seven tests against Bangladesh in January but put his hand up with a stylish 57 in the tour match at Northampton.
In turn Marshall struggled, scoring 11 and two and showing a lack of confidence to convince the selectors to look elsewhere.
Flynn was also retained after declaring himself ready to return, almost a fortnight after a James Anderson bouncer relieved him of two teeth and cut short his second test involvement.
Vettori expected Flynn would be tested again with short-pitched England bowling but was convinced about his readiness.
"He wanted to bat at Old Trafford, and get straight back out there. At Northampton, while he didn't get the runs he wanted, to see him get out there and want to play is the most telling sign," Vettori said.
Vettori said it was finally time for his young side, who need to win here to level the series 1-1, to go all the way after letting a dominant position slip in Manchester.
It's the sixth consecutive test between the sides, with New Zealand winning the first test in Hamilton by 189 runs, then England winning three of the next four.
New Zealand have earned the label of tough competitors who can dominate for periods of time but not finish sides off.
"(Hamilton's) the only time we've really put that complete performance together. We need to put ourselves in that position and do it properly and then hopefully that's the end of it. Until we do that we'll always be tarred with that brush," Vettori said.
The captain said the Northampton match was ideal for the side to regroup after the pain of Old Trafford, rather than going straight into the final match.
Aaron Redmond and Ross Taylor scored centuries while Southee and fellow paceman Kyle Mills took confidence-boosting wickets.
Vettori said complacency was the issue at Old Trafford.
"The fact we were 270 in front and we thought that would be enough, we just wanted to get out there and bowl to them, and hopefully I'd take over and take the wickets.
"When we get in that situation we have to finish the job off as opposed to thinking what we've got is enough."
England captain Michael Vaughan confirmed an unchanged playing 11 for a fifth consecutive match, the first time that has happened since 1884-85.
He predicted the team bowling first would get an early advantage with moisture in the pitch and the ground's reputation for being a swing bowler's haven in county matches this year.
"We realise that it's going to be a swinging type of week, but if you play well as a batsmen and see off that first 30-odd overs you've got an opportunity to get a big score. "
New Zealand
Daniel Vettori (captain), Jamie How, Aaron Redmond, Peter Fulton, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin (one to be omitted).
- NZPA
