NZ pacer Blair Tickner suffers serious shoulder injury during second test against West Indies

West Indies made 205 in the first innings of the second test with Tickner taking four wickets.

Blair Tickner sustained a shoulder injury on the first day of the second test match against the West Indies in Wellington on Wednesday, December 10, adding to the New Zealand team’s injury woes.

There are questions over whether the right-arm fast bowler will participate in the game going forward after he had to be stretchered off. Tom Blundell, Nathan Smith, and Matt Henry were eliminated from the second test.

Tickner had an early impact in Wellington, removing captain Roston Chase and Shai Hope after capturing Brandon King and Kavem Hodge. On the first day, New Zealand got off to a great start in the first innings thanks to his spell.

Blair Tickner suffers a shoulder injury on first day of second test

Tickner hurt himself in the 67th over while trying to save a boundary at fine leg after earlier tearing through the West Indies’ batting with a four-wicket haul.

His teammates were concerned when he dove full length close to the rope while chasing a flip from Tevon Imlach and stayed down right away.

He was treated on the boundary edge by the medical personnel from the venue and the New Zealand camp before being carried out on a stretcher while sitting upright to enthusiastic cheers from the Basin Reserve audience.

“He [Tickner] left the field with a left shoulder injury and was transported to the hospital shortly afterwards. Once the medical team and local doctors have done their work with him, an update will be fed back,” NZC said in a release.

Following injuries to Nathan Smith and Matt Henry in Christchurch, Tickner was selected for the starting lineup for his first Test since early 2023. He was by far New Zealand’s top bowler of the day with 4 for 32 from 16 overs.

However, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke, and Matt Fisher are just a few of the fast bowlers who are already sidelined for this series due to injury.

Before being dismissed, Tickner put New Zealand firmly in control by uprooting Roston Chase’s leg stump, dismissing Shai Hope for 48 with a brilliant bouncer, and trapping Brandon King (33) and Kavem Hodge (0) lbw.

Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and rookie Michael Rae’s already inexperienced seam attack would suffer a serious setback if Tickner were to miss the rest of the game.

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