Injuries mount

Just after lunch at Chelmsford in the tour match between New Zealand and Essex and the Kiwis are struggling again with the bat. 85 for five at the moment and that is effectively for six as Daniel Vettori, I have been told, will not bat today after having two stitches put into his spinning finger, which he cut on Saturday. This should not stop him playing in the first Test, but he may miss next week's final warm-up game against the Lions.

Aaron Redmond, usually an opener, came out to bat at No 7 after being told by the umpires that he could not bat until five wickets had fallen as a result of missing most of yesterday's fielding. His reason for being off the field was rather odd: during New Zealand's warm-up yesterday he slid to stop the ball and somehow managed to ram the spikes of one of his boots into a knee.

Meanwhile, the star Essex bowler today, Maurice Chambers, has had his own injury problems. When he got Ross Taylor to chop on to his stumps this morning, it was Chambers's first first-class wicket for three years. To be fair to him, this was also his first first-class game for three years having suffered from various back ailments. Just to prove what he can do, he then took Daniel Flynn's wicket shortly after lunch.