Black Caps keen for more teams with injury problems, stand-in captains to tour

SRPA: Rugby fans may grumble about under-strength touring teams being cleaned up by the national side, but Cricket fans can’t get enough of it. New Zealand clinched a series victory against a Ponting and McGrath-less Australia in 2007’s Chappell-Hadlee series, and are now proving too strong for an England side without Vaughan and Flintoff.

“It’s brilliant, isn’t it?” said NZ Cricket supremo Justin Vaughan. “One minute we’re chasing down 346 against Aussie, the next we’re thrashing England by ten wickets. We’re looking to secure South Africa minus Graeme Smith for next year.”