New Zealand keep injured player on field against England due to little-known rule

New Zealand were forced to keep Matt Henry on the field despite being injured due to a largely unknown rule.

Test cricket rules stipulate that bowlers who are injured while their team is fielding can’t bowl for the same amount of time that they spend off the field.

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Henry bowled just four overs on the first day before leaving the field with back spasms.

In the end, the Black Caps didn’t need him as England were bowled out for 140 after the visitors won the toss and put the home side in at Lord’s.

Kyle Jamieson claimed a brilliant five-for to get himself onto the honours board.

Henry didn’t bowl again during the first innings, but he did limp out to bat.

He didn’t last long as Ollie Robinson bowled him for nought to get himself a place on the honours board as well.

And at the start of England’s second innings, Henry remained on the field as Tom Latham rotated his other bowlers.

He tried to hide him all over the field, and whenever there was a slight stoppage in play, he received treatment for his back.

But crucially, he never left the field, meaning that he was allowed to bowl again immediately once his back felt up to it.

And he did eventually return to the New Zealand bowling attack.

But had he spent any time off the pitch during that second innings, he wouldn’t have been able to bowl for that time.

Talking about it on talkSPORT Cricket’s international commentary, ball-by-ball commentator Neil Manthorp said: “We have no Matt Henry, but he is on the field, and there have been three members of the sports staff down with him.”

England legend Steve Harmison responded: “He has to stay on the field to give him the best chance to bowl.

“If he’s off the field, he can’t bowl – the longer you are off the field, the longer you have to wait to come back on to bowl.

“I think it’s a good thing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they work on him during that 40-minute break at lunch, and then, he’ll start bowling straight after.”

And Harmison proved to be totally right.

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‘So restricting’

As a former fast bowler who used to suffer from back spasms, Harmison knows what it’s like.

Speaking on Henry’s injury, he said: “It’s so restricting – that’s the problem.

“It’s not painful. If you get a back spasm, it’s not painful, it’s just so uncomfortable and so awkward.

“There is nothing structurally wrong with your body. It is just the muscles contracting around a certain area, and they just make your body go absolutely solid.

“It feels as though there is no bend in your body or flexibility. It is like having iron rods through your back, and you’ve got no movement.

“It’s not painful, it is just restricting.

“Fast bowling isn’t natural for the body, and Matt Henry is finding that out at this moment in time.”

England are looking to extend their first-innings lead after bowling New Zealand out for 113 and taking a 27-run advantage into the second innings.