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The quad injury that
Sophie Devine, the captain of New Zealand, suffered while bowling during
Wednesday’s fourth Twenty20 international, has forced her out of the fifth and
final Twenty20 international against England.
On Thursday, New Zealand Cricket said that Devine “had sustained a grade
one quad strain which would require a short period of rehabilitation”
after a scan revealed this.
She will
“undergo a rehabilitation programme” while staying with the team in
Wellington, the location of the fourth and fifth Twenty20 Internationals. After
that, it will be decided whether or not she plays in the three-match ODI series
that begins on April 1.
Devine’s substitute, Georgia Plimmer, was a member of the New Zealand A team
that was participating in a parallel series versus England A.
“We’re obviously disappointed for Sophie, but the focus is now to make her
available for as much of the ODI series as possible,” New Zealand head
coach Ben Sawyer said. “Sophie will be monitored over the next few days
and that will give us a better idea of what her availability is before the
first game on Monday.
“The ODI series is an important series for us with ICC ODI Championship
points on the line so we’re hopeful that Sophie will make a quick
recovery.”
With one match
remaining in the T20I series, New Zealand will give anything to have Devine in
the mix when the ODIs get underway. Devine, who took four wickets and scored 77
runs at a strike rate of 150.98 in two innings, has been one of New Zealand’s
top players in the series thus far.
Devine and Amelia Kerr had not returned to New Zealand from their participation
in the Women’s Premier League in India, hence they had missed the opening
Twenty20 International of the series. For that particular game, Mikaela Greig
and Plimmer had been called up to the squad.