Bracewell ruled out of second Test

Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the second Test against England after failing to recover from the foot injury that kept him out of the Dunedin match. Ian Butler, the Otago seamer, has been retained in an unchanged 13-man squad for the Wellington Test which starts on Thursday.

Mike Hesson, the coach, said a decision on Bracewell's fitness will be taken closer to the third Test in Auckland, which begins March 22. He cut his foot while cleaning up after a party the day before joining up with the New Zealand squad last week.

"Unfortunately he just hasn't recovered as we would have hoped," Hesson said. "There's nothing sinister going on with his foot it's just taking longer than we would have hoped.

"He's not running. We hoped he would bowl yesterday to come into consideration but he couldn't get to that point. So he's at home, trying to get back as quick as he can. Hopefully two or three days there and he might get a game for Central Districts and then maybe the third Test."

The key issue for Hesson over the next two days, in the build-up to the Wellington match, is ensuring his three incumbent pace bowlers - Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner - recover from their second-innings exertions at University Oval. New Zealand were in the field for 170 overs and the three quicks sent down 114 of those.

"The next two days will be very much about a rest and recovery period," he said. "They bowled their heart out for a couple of days so we certainly won't be asking too much of them between Tests. We saw with playing four bowlers they have to sustain pace over a long period, so we are after guys who have the ability to keep running in."

After the match Brendon McCullum suggested that an unchanged team is likely for Wellington. "Once the dust settles on this Test match we will turn our attentions to the balance of the next one, but I wouldn't expect too much difference for the next one," he said.

Hesson added that the same balance of bowling attack - three quicks and one spinner - is likely to be retained and he expects more life in the surface for the second Test.

Squad: Brendon McCullum, Trent Boult, Dean Brownlie, Ian Butler, Peter Fulton, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Walting, Kane Williamson.