The Black Caps have suffered a huge blow on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve after in-form fast bowler Blair Tickner potentially dislocated his left shoulder near the boundary rope.
Already badly hit by injuries to quicks Matt Henry and Nathan Smith during the drawn first Test in Christchurch which ruled the pair out of the Wellington match (along with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell), Tickner is the latest to succumb and there will be doubts about his involvement in the rest of the Test.
Rubbing insult into injury is that Tickner, who did not play at Hagley Oval, was New Zealand's most threatening bowler after they won the toss and elected to bowl.
Tickner claimed the first two wickets of Brandon King and Kavem Hodge - both trapped in front - before picking up the wickets of Shai Hope and captain Roston Chase.
But disaster struck when Tickner attempted to save a boundary off the bowling of debutant Michael Rae with the score at 195-7.
He fell awkwardly and stayed down, requiring medical attention. After a delay he was eventually taken by ambulance to hospital.
New Zealand struggled to break through in the first session after putting the Windies in on what appeared to be a pitch that would offer assistance to the attack, but Tickener provided the cutting edge, with Rae, after an uncertain start to his Test career, picking up three wickets, including that of dangerous opener John Campbell, at the time of Tickener's injury.
Immediately afterwards, spinner Glenn Phillips struck, bowling Tevin Imlach to leave the Windies 199-8.
More to come
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