KEY POINTS:
A near-test strength New Zealand side has been named for their final tour match ahead of the first cricket test against England next week.
Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills are the only likely test names missing from the side who face England A in the four-day match at The Rose Bowl in Hampshire starting tonight (NZ time).
While Mills is being rested, captain Vettori is racing to recover from a freakish cut to the index finger on his left bowling hand during a practice session this week. It required two stitches.
He told reporters he was confident of playing the first test at Lord's starting next week although his comments betrayed some uncertainty.
"I'm having the stitches taken out on Saturday or Sunday and I'll know a little bit more then," he said.
"I'm confident, but I've never dealt with this before and it's in the worst possible spot."
Vettori was surprised by the routine nature of the incident.
"I just caught a ball which Brendon (McCullum) threw at the stumps," he said.
"I backed it up and I took it awkwardly and gashed across the side of my left index finger. I've never seen it happen to anyone else in cricket, and the number of times guys catch cricket balls, it's amazing. But I'll just get on with it as best as I can."
Tour vice-captain and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum will lead the team this week and bat at No 5, with Daniel Flynn to follow him in a possible pointer towards the test lineup.
Seam bowlers Michael Mason and Iain O'Brien were productive during the four-day defeat of Essex this week but Mason hasn't been named for this game while O'Brien is favoured to make way for Mills for the test.
The test seam berths are likely to go to Mills and Tim Southee alongside spearhead Chris Martin.
New Zealand team to play England A:
Brendon McCullum (captain), Jamie How, Aaron Redmond, James Marshall, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin
- NZPA
