Blundell ruled out of second WI Test, Hay set to make debut

New Zealand have been dealt a further blow to their Test squad after wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell has been ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies due to a hamstring injury. Blundell suffered the injury while batting in the first Test in Christchurch last week. As a result, Mitchell Hay is set to make his debut at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday (December 10).

This comes after Matt Henry, Nathan Smith, and Mitchell Santner were ruled out of the remainder of the Test series due to calf, side, and groin injuries respectively. New Zealand Cricket named all-rounder Kristian Clarke and fast bowler Michael Rae as their replacements.

Mitchell Hay, 25, has made 19 international appearances for New Zealand across white-ball formats. In 29 First-Class matches for Canterbury, he has scored 1,895 runs at an average of 48.58, with 17 fifties and a top score of 146.

Meanwhile, Kyle Jamieson is continuing his red-ball return-to-play plan, having recently featured in a Plunket Shield game for Canterbury. Glenn Phillips, who recovered from a groin strain, played the first two fixtures of the competition for Otago, scoring 130 runs and taking nine wickets. Phillips is part of the 14-man squad for the second Test.

Head coach Rob Walter said, "Mitch is a young cricketer who's already contributed well to the white-ball side. He also has an excellent record at First-Class level with Canterbury. Having him come into a Test squad is a great moment in his career and we're really excited to see him play his part."

The 24-year-old Kristian Clarke has taken 79 wickets for Northern Districts in 28 First-Class matches, while Michael Rae (30) has 208 wickets in 70 matches. Walter added, "Kristian and Michael are both identified players of interest with great ability, and have both been good performers for their domestic sides over the past few years. They both have good skill with the red-ball, and there's a great opportunity for them to show that skill for us at the highest level of the game."