Oram injury scare disrupts New Zealand

Kyle Mills has been called into the New Zealand squad as cover for Jacob Oram after the allrounder suffered a slight calf strain on the eve of the first Test against West Indies. Oram was able to complete New Zealand's training session on Wednesday and a team spokesman said he was 95% certain of starting the match in Dunedin on Thursday.

Oram's wobbly body has had to recover from a back injury and a fractured finger before the latest setback. He missed the Australia tour but proved his fitness for the West Indies series in a couple of first-class fixtures for Central Districts. "He had that layoff and then he had two big state games and then he's just feeling a bit tender after that heavy workload," the spokesman told NZPA.

Mills, the fast bowler, will join the squad as a precaution but will be let go before the toss if Oram is cleared. Oram is due to enter at No. 6 and is seen as an answer to the side's batting problems, which prevented them from competing with Australia over the past month.