Henry fit to lead New Zealand’s attack in first Test vs England

Matt Henry is set to lead a full-strength New Zealand pace attack in the first Test against England at Lord’s starting on Thursday after recovering from injury.

Henry missed last week’s innings rout of Ireland in a one-off Test in Belfast with what team management said was “a minor strain in his left hamstring” but has now been passed fit for the first of a three-Test series against England.

Fellow quicks Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke have been given the all clear as well but it is the return of Henry that is the biggest boost to the Black Caps.

Henry has a fine overall Test record of 140 wickets at 27.

But since the retirements of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, the 34-year-old has become the leader of the attack with 85 wickets at a miserly average of 18.1 in his last 15 Tests.

“I think if you look at Henna’s record over the last three or four years, since taking the new ball, he’s been amazing for us,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham told reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday.

Matt Henry bowls during a Test cricket match between India and New Zealand. File/AFP

Henry has also had spells in county cricket with Somerset and Derbyshire.

“His record speaks for itself but I think the experience that he brings in New Zealand but also in these conditions, he’s played a lot over here, county cricket, played plenty of Test matches here as well,” said Latham.

“He’s been fantastic for us, he’s a strike weapon, he’s got a lot of great skills and he leads the attack really well... It’s obviously been a while since he last played Test cricket in December so he’ll be really excited to get the ball back in his hand and obviously lead the attack again.”

But Henry is far from the only potent member of the Black Caps’ pace attack.

“You’ve got Henry, Nathan Smith that are able to move the ball in the air off the surface and then you’ve got the height of Jamieson, O’Rourke and (Blair) Tickner,” said Latham.

“To have them all available here for a really important series is awesome. Nets haven’t necessarily been that fun, but, yeah, we are looking forward to them running out tomorrow.”

Matt Henry celebrates after the dismissal of India's Mohammad Siraj during their Test match in Bengaluru. File/Associated Press

Stokes defends Archer’s absence: England captain Ben Stokes has warned leading players such as Jofra Archer could be driven away from international cricket if England attempt to limit their Indian Premier League commitments.

Several months after their embarrassing 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, England return to Test cricket against New Zealand at Lord’s on Thursday.

But they will be without pace spearhead Archer, a member of the Rajasthan Royals team beaten by Gujarat Titans in the IPL last Friday.

The 31-year-old is now in Barbados, the country of his birth, and his availability even for the second Test at the Oval remains uncertain.

Archer has a lucrative England central contract and has been supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board through five years of injury trouble.

Former New Zealand paceman Simon Doull said it was “absolutely ludicrous” that Archer would be absent from the series opener.

But Stokes told reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday that top white-ball players could be lost to Test cricket if they had to make themselves available for every match.

“I totally understand people’s frustrations around it, but there is another side to it,” he said.

Agencies