Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner (right) are in a head-to-head battle for the final spot in the Black Caps' test team. Photo / Photosport
Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner (right) are in a head-to-head battle for the final spot in the Black Caps' test team. Photo / Photosport
In the spirit of next-man-up, others will now be responsible for replacing the 251 runs left behind as Kane Williamson's impending fatherhood has ruled him out of the second test against the West Indies.
Williamson had himself a day today, attending a midwife appointment with pregnant partner Sarah Raheem inthe morning, returning to the squad in the afternoon with the intention of leading the side, only to return to Mt Maunganui later that evening as things presumably advanced on the family front.
Tom Latham will captain the side, something he did in Williamson's illness-enforced absence in Sydney earlier this year.
"It's a decision we've come to around the best interest for him and Sarah. It's important long term for him to be in a good place," said coach Gary Stead of Williamson's absence. "He's not the first person to have a baby and miss a test match."
Which is very true, but he is the first person to miss a test match on paternity leave following a match-winning double-and-a-half century. This New Zealand side takes pride in their ability to adjust on the fly and that will be the case as Will Young – "a natural replacement" – drops down the order to fill Williamson's batting shoes.
Cursed seemingly by endless bad luck, the wheel has turned for Young. He owed his place in this series to first BJ Watling's 11th-hour hamstring injury in Hamilton, and now by the wonders of procreation.
He did it tough opening on a greentop against an in-form Shannon Gabriel but will hope to cash in over the next couple of days to put pressure on Stead to keep picking him if others fail.
The Black Caps will have to win a test without skipper Kane Williamson. Photo / Getty
It has been 1363 days since New Zealand walked off a cricket field at home with the taste of defeat as bitter as the beer at the bottom of their post-match bottles.
"It's something we're proud of, the way we play at home," Stead said. "Every time we play here we want to be very, very hard to beat."
Likewise, the West Indies must make themselves much harder to beat after capitulating somewhat.
"This group has done some outstanding things in the last couple of years," skipper Jason Holder said, predicting a big turnaround in fortunes.
"A lot of discussions over the past couple of days and hopefully they come to fruition. We let ourselves down in that last test match and we're all disappointed in our performance but we have to keep going. There's so much to play for: personal pride, to level the series and points in the World Test Championship.
"I can't fault the preparation. We just have to start delivering."
It all starts with the batting, he re-emphasised, somewhat curiously considering they also conceded 519-7 on a green pitch in the first test.
In other matters of record: Watling is also fit again to take up residence behind the stumps and at No 6.
The West Indies are not so fortunate. Kemar Roach has returned to the Caribbean following the death of his father, and Shane Dowrich has not recovered from the finger injury he suffered in the first test, though one report listed his absence as being for "personal reasons".
Watling's presence will see local Tom Blundell back up to open with Latham.
The only intrigue will be whether surname Mitchell gets the nod ahead of Christian name Mitchell for the all-rounder's slot.
Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner (right) are in a head-to-head battle for the final spot in the Black Caps' test team. Photo / Photosport
Trying to get a read on the inscrutable Gary Stead is probably futile but perhaps the tea leaves are starting to spell Santner.
"It's still unusual to go into test matches and not consider a spin option. We didn't have one last game and Daryl Mitchell only bowled the two overs," Stead said.
Spin was not missed in Hamilton and it will probably be secondary here, too. But with the wind forecast to blow hard there will be a temptation to have Santner as an option to rest the four-pronged seam attack while lifting the over rate and giving the West Indies something different to look at.
On the flip side, Mitchell's superior batting might be more important in Williamson's absence.
The West Indies are likely to play Chemar Holder as a replacement for Roach and will definitely hand a debut to keeper Joshua Da Silva who was described by his captain as a "vibrant" presence.
