HAMILTON: Injuries rocked New Zealand and South Africa on Thursday, two days out from the start of the third and final Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton with Tim Southee ruled out and Quinton de Kock doubtful.

New Zealand, under pressure to win if they are to level the series, were already sweating on their firepower and the availability of Trent Boult when his new-ball partner Southee was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

South Africa have no experienced back up for de Kock, who plays a prominent role in their balance as a wicket-keeper/batsman. The uncapped Heinrich Klaasen is travelling as the sole replacement.

The injuries added to the dark clouds hovering near Hamilton with the forecast for showers throughout the five days of the Test, reducing the prospect of a result.

South Africa, in an unbeatable 1-0 lead after the eight-wicket, three-day thrashing they inflicted on New Zealand in the second Test at Wellington, said they would make a late call on whether the influential de Kock, who had a scans on Thursday, would play.

The scans did not show a fracture, team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee told reporters in Hamilton, but the injury could rule him out of the IPL Twenty20 tournament to ensure he is fit for the one-day Champions Trophy and tour of England that follows.

“There is every likelihood he will miss the IPL because he will need at least four to six weeks recovery,” Moosajee said. “The risk is that if he doesn’t have that four to six weeks rest, and he further aggravates it, it could jeopardise his participation in the Champions Trophy.

“With that in mind and with the England tour after that, it’s important we give him the allocated time to recover for the injury.”

The 24-year-old missed training on Wednesday and Thursday and Moosajee said a decision on whether he played in the third Test would not be made until Friday.

New Zealand, however, ruled out Southee as soon as his hamstring tear was confirmed but said there would be no replacement bowler called up.

This indicated a start for Boult, who missed the Wellington Test through leg soreness and has only had light sessions in the nets this week ahead of a final fitness test.

Complicating South Africa’s team selection with the question mark over de Kock was the state of the pitch.

They had called in Dane Piedt as a fresh spinner before Keshav Maharaj and J.P. Duminy performed with distinction in Wellington but expectations of a spinners’ paradise in Hamilton appeared to be unfounded.

The pitch has a typical New Zealand grass cover, which seemed at odds with coach Mike Hesson’s claim that it would be unwise to do anything that would further assist South Africa’s impressive seam bowling attack.

Teams (from):

NEW ZEALAND: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (captain), Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, B.J. Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Jeetan Patel, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

SOUTH AFRICA: Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, J.P. Duminy, Faf du Plessis (captain), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt, Theunis de Bruyn, Duanne Olivier, Heinrich Klaasen.

Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (Australia) and Rod Tucker (Australia).

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka).

Match referee: David Boon (Australia).

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017