KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand cricket side has suffered a setback after newly-arrived skipper Daniel Vettori required stitches to close a finger wound sustained during day two of the tour match against Essex at Chelmsford today.
Vettori was whisked away to a local hospital during the final session after injuring
the index finger on his bowling hand while backing-up in the field. He required two stitches for a soft tissue injury and is almost certainly out of the final warm-up match against the England Lions next week, although should be fit for the first test at Lord's starting on May 15.
He immediately headed to the dressing room after backing up a wild throw from Brendon McCullum and was ferried to A&E for treatment.
"There was a bit of blood, but we thought maybe he might have done some other damage - so we wanted to get it x-rayed to see maybe whether there was a problem with the tendon or bone," team manager Lindsay Crocker told cricinfo.
"Daniel looked at it straight away and ran off the field straight away and feared the worst for a little while. But the worst would have been some injury to the bone, and that is not the case. It's just a soft-tissue split - and he's had two stitches,"
Vettori is expected to have the stitches removed in about a week meaning he will be short of match practice before the opening exchange of the three match series. He took one for 23 from 11 - an analysis which will be his only bowling in English conditions prior to Lord's.
Vettori was a late arrival in England due to commitments with the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition. He made 22 in New Zealand's first innings of 355 - a total boosted by a 49-run partnership for the 10th wicket between bowlers Michael Mason and Iain O'Brien.
The duo, who added seven before South African-born medium pacer Ryan ten Doeschate claimed Mason as his sixth victim, then placed Essex on the backfoot.
Right armer Mason, seeking inclusion in the first test line-up removed openers Jason Gallian (9) and England incumbent Alastair Cook (15) to have the hosts in trouble at 24 for two.
He ended the day with four for 59 from 19 overs while O'Brien had three for 46 including the scalp of top scorer Ravi Bopara for 66.
Essex were 251 for nine at stumps after their tail also added some welcome late runs. Alex Tudor and Tony Palladino added 53 for the ninth wicket before former test paceman Tudor was caught behind by McCullum off Mason deep in the final session.
New Zealand lead by 104 runs at the halfway point and will be seeking to wrap up the innings early before indulging in some valuable batting practice.
- NZPA