NZ focus on fitness before SA series

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner will be relieved from this week's matches in the domestic List A competition, the Ford Trophy, as the side looks to get its key players fit and rested in time for the home series against South Africa, which starts from February 17.

Southee and Boult will be rested as part of their workload management, Hesson said, while Santner and Williamson need time to recover from little niggles.

"Tim, Trent, Santner and Williamson will all be out for a week and will be given a chance to recoup," Hesson said. "Both Santner and Williamson have got little injuries that they need to get right and Tim and Trent [have] obviously high workloads. The rest [of the players] will return to some degree.

"Mitch had a little fracture on the end of his thumb, which he has had for a little while but we want to get that right before South Africa. And Kane has had a bit of a foot issue for a while and we'll see how that scrubs out over the next week. I can't tell you the exact details [of Williamson's injury] but he's had it for a long time. He just hasn't had time to rest it."

New Zealand are also facing other injury concerns before the South Africa series. Fast bowler Neil Wagner is in doubt for the Tests after fracturing a finger during the Ford Trophy match last week. Hesson had previously said the "initial assessment" on Wagner's finger is that it will need "four to six weeks" to heal. The first Test against South Africa begins on March 8 in Dunedin.

"It's huge for Neil, obviously playing on his home ground. He's pretty determined to be right for that first Test so it is a race against time but we will just have to wait and see," Hesson said. "It's a huge blow for us to be unavailable but I am sure Neil will do everything in his powers for us to be ready."

BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi, the side's frontline wicketkeepers in Tests and limited-overs respectively, also faced injury concerns recently. Watling was advised three weeks' rest last month for a sprained right knee, while Ronchi suffered a tear to his right adductor during the home series against Bangladesh. Hesson said he expected Watling to be fit in time and was also pleased with the progress Ronchi had made in terms of his recovery. Ronchi made a return to competitive cricket in the Ford Trophy, turning out for Wellington against Otago last week.

"He's [Watling] making reasonable progress," Hesson said. "It's one of those injuries or issues that has occurred for quite a while. This is the only window in which he's been able to give it some rest and hopefully, he'll get back for the last Plunket Shield game before the Test series starts. He's got a knee and a hip issue. [I] Won't go into specifics but he obviously needs a bit of time.

"It's great to see Luke back. Worked really hard and got back quicker than we initially thought. It gives us options in the squad - whether it's playing an extra allrounder or Luke coming in."

Hesson singled out the emerging depth in the squad as one of the most pleasing aspects of his side's 2-0 win over Australia, which helped them reclaim the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. He lauded Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham for stepping in to fill the roles as opener and wicketkeeper-batsman respectively after injuries affected the side.

Latham was picked as the side's wicketkeeper over Tom Blundell and effected six dismissals behind the stumps in the series, while Brownlie, making his return to international cricket after two years, replaced Martin Guptill in the squad and hit 63 in the third ODI.

"Really delighted for Dean. He's been around the group with the Test squad for a little while. He's fought his way back in," he said. "He had a specific role against that attack - we needed someone who could play the swinging ball and deal with the pace and we hoped Dean would be able to do that and he performed exceptionally well.

"He did a great job. It's just good for the group, to be fair. It gives us options moving forward and allows us to have a horses-for-courses approach.

"We've had a lot of guys come in and out due to injury and most of the guys who have come in have been able to deliver straightaway and it's a good sign for us. Also that we don't rely on only one or two players which some other sides around the world do. It's important for us that we continue to develop depth in all forms and we are starting to."

South Africa's tour of New Zealand will begin with a T20 international on February 17, before the five-match ODI series gets underway on February 19. The Test series will start from March 8 in Dunedin.