New Zealand In Trouble As Devon Conway Tests Covid Positive

After losing Tests at the Lord's and Trent Bridge, New Zealand, the reigning winners of the World Test Championship have lost the series to England by 2-0 with one match still to go.

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New Zealand left-handed batter Devon Conway became the latest person in the travelling party to test positive for Covid-19. A statement from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said Conway undertook a PCR test on the team's arrival in London on Wednesday evening in preparation for team activity and after testing positive for the virus, he will now be in five-day isolation.

Conway now joins all-rounder Michael Bracewell and support staff personnel Vijay Vallabh (physio) and Chris Donaldson (strength & conditioning expert) as members of the touring party to have tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

The three will travel separately from the team to Leeds on Sunday and provided they recover as expected, will be able to join the team for training at Headingley on Tuesday, ahead of the third and final Test of the series starting from Thursday.

"The rest of the touring party has returned negative results and will continue following the tour health protocols of symptom reporting and subsequent testing if required. No replacement players are being sought at this stage," said NZC.

Conway made scores of 46 and 52 batting at number three in the second Test at Trent Bridge, after the regular captain, Kane Williamson tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the match. He had scores of 3 and 13 in the first Test at 'he Lord's.

New Zealand had earlier called pace bowler Blair Tickner and wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver into their Test squad after pace all-rounder Kyle Jamieson (lower back stress reaction) and backup wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher (grade-two right hamstring strain) was ruled out of the rest of the tour at Nottingham.

After losing Tests at the Lord's and Trent Bridge by an identical margin of five wickets, New Zealand, the reigning winners of the World Test Championship (WTC), have lost the series to England. The visitors will now aim for some points in terms of WTC tally in the last match of their tour at Leeds and avoid a clean sweep to sign off from England on a high.