The BLACKCAPS have moved into the second phase of their European epic with the prelimimary touring squad whittled down ahead of the first Test against England at Lord's.

Last month the BLACKCAPS selectors named a larger than usual touring squad to cover for players still involved in the IPL and a new bundle of joy in the Kane Williamson household whilst the side warmed up with two four-day practice matches in Sussex and Essex.

WILL YOUNG | PHOTOSPORT

BLAIR TICKNER, Jacob Duffy and Rachin Ravindra have now been released from the squad while Hamish Rutherford has already departed to link up with the Leicester Foxes for the Vitality Blast T20 competition in England.

That leaves spinner AJAZ PATEL and batsman WILL YOUNG potentially representing the Stags in the first Test at Lord's - a match that will attract plenty of attention worldwide as the first Test as England coach for former BLACKCAP Brendon McCullum and first Test as the new England captain for Kiwi-Brit Ben Stokes.

AJAZ PATEL | PHOTOSPORT

Hoping to get his first Test start since early December 2021 - when he famously took all 10 wickets in an innings against India in Mumbai, Patel made the most of the two warm-ups with both bat and ball.

He claimed 2-84 in his only innings at Hove, and 3-32 and 2-55 at Chelmsford where he also contributed two quick unbeaten knocks of 36* and 10* at the tail of the innings.

Young also continued his good form from Northamptonshire - for whom he recently scored a County championship century - with an unbeaten 55* before retiring and 20* at Hove and a knock of 46 in Chelmsford.

BLAIR TICKNER | PHOTOSPORT

Tickner meanwhile rebounded from the disappointment of missing the match in Hove as one of several squad members to go down with COVID-19, returning from isolation in time for the second tour match and taking 2-50 and 0-37 in his first outing since the Plunket Shield.

The Lord's Test begins this Thursday (2 June) from 10pm NZT, and will be broadcast live on Spark Sport.

BLACKCAPS TEST squad

2022 European Tour - NZ v England

Kane Williamson — captain Northern Districts

AJAZ PATEL Central Stags

WILL YOUNG Central Stags

Michael Bracewell Wellington Firebirds (first Test only, injury cover for Nicholls)

Tom Blundell — wicketkeeper Wellington Firebirds

Devon Conway Wellington Firebirds

Trent Boult Northern Districts

Colin de Grandhomme Northern Districts

Tim Southee Northern Districts

Neil Wagner Northern Districts

Cameron Fletcher Canterbury

Matt Henry Canterbury

Tom Latham Canterbury

Daryl Mitchell Canterbury

Henry Nicholls Canterbury

Kyle Jamieson Auckland Aces

Article added: Tuesday 31 May 2022