Cricket: Matt Henry, Black Caps closure, suffers a broken thumb

Black Caps and Canterbury closer Matt Henry has suffered an injury prior to the start of New Zealand’s international cricket season.

Henry will be ruled out for tomorrow’s Plunket Shield game after sustaining a broken thumb in training yesterday.

Canterbury physio Tim Dovbysh said he was optimistic Henry would return in four to six weeks, putting him in doubt for the Black Caps’ first T20 against the West Indies on November 27.

“Unfortunately, Matt got hit on the tip of his right thumb while hitting the net,” he said.

“Matt had an X-ray taken immediately after training which confirmed the fracture.

“He will need a temporary break from bowling, but he will still add value to the team in practice and start bowling when he can.”

Henry joins teammate Black Cap Henry Nicholls on the bench, who has also been ruled out due to injury.

Meanwhile, former New Zealand cricketer Danny Morrison has suggested that overuse could be a factor in Kane Williamson’s ongoing struggle with injuries.

Williamson, who currently plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates, is in the familiar position of healing from a hip / groin injury, and was forced to miss the team’s win over Rajasthan Royals on Friday. .

It’s a similar issue that caused the Black Caps captain to miss all five of the national team’s T20 games against England last season and with the Black Caps’ new campaign starting in just five weeks, they’ll want to make sure their pattern is ready to play.

Speaking to Martin Devlin of Newstalk ZB, Morrison suggested that the amount of cricket being played these days could be a factor in how often Williamson experiences injury problems.

“I wonder if, in terms of the amount of cricket these guys play these days, going back and forth in all the different genres … I’m not surprised it’s taking its toll,” Morrison said.

“Kane, who really struggles and hits for extraordinary amounts of time, plays all formats. So when I look at that, something has to give. Whether he has a dicky back, and of course his back can affect your hamstrings and groin – your whole center of motion and that whole area has real problems.

“At the moment I think he is still very sore and very tense.”

In seven innings during this season’s IPL, Williamson has been in impressive form averaging 36. Last Monday, his most recent performance, he was notably struggling to run between the grounds, although he could still post a respectable 29 earlier. being fired by his Black Caps teammate, Lockie Ferguson.

The Black Caps season kicks off next month, with the first of three T20s against the West Indies in Auckland on November 27.