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New Zealand’s teenaged fast bowler, Tim Southee, is a doubt for the second Test against England at Old Trafford, after succumbing to a bout of vomiting and diarrhoea following his team’s arrival in Manchester.

Southee made his debut for New Zealand in the third Test in Napier in March, where he burst into the limelight with 5 for 55 in the first innings and boundary-laden 77 from 40 balls from No. 10 on the final morning of the match. He had a quieter time during last week’s Lord’s Test, but his absence would still be a major blow to a side that took several positives from a comfortably drawn match.

According to reports on New Zealand radio, Southee sat out practice at Old Trafford on Tuesday afternoon, but is starting to take food again and hopes to rebuild his energy levels sufficiently over the next two days. The match starts at 11am local time on Friday.

John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, was quoted as saying that Southee was “going at both ends” and had been laid low by the bug for 48 hours. Should he fail to recover, Iain O’Brien and Michael Mason will contest the final bowling slot, assuming the Old Trafford groundstaff produce their familiar fast, bouncy wicket.

Source:Cricket News

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