Collingwood confident of playing full part in first test |
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Monday May 12, 09:56 PM
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By John Mehaffey
LONDON (Reuters) - England all-rounder Paul Collingwood was confident on Monday of playing a full part in the first test against New Zealand at Lord's starting on Thursday after an injection on his injured right shoulder.
"At the moment I am very optimistic about the injection and it will work 100 percent," Collingwood told reporters. "I had tests this morning and I came through.
"All I can do is keep it strong and in as little pain as possible and work on all the shoulder routines I have been given."
The England one-day captain said the cortisone injection, which was administered on Friday, was the third he had required for the shoulder. He said doctors had told him it was the last time he could have that particular treatment.
"Surgery is the last resort," he said. "It's the last thing I want."
Hot sunshine has baked Lord's for the past week and with further fine weather forecast this week the pitch will favour the batsmen, making Collingwood's ability to bowl useful medium-pace all the more necessary.
England are likely to play a four-man attack with swing bowlers Matthew Hoggard and James Anderson likely to compete for the last place alongside Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar.
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was ruled out on Saturday of the first two tests because of a side strain.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who required two stitches after splitting the spinning finger on his left hand in the warmup match, bowled five overs at a single stump without a batsman at Lord's on Monday afternoon.
He also batted in the nets and New Zealand coach John Bracewell told reporters he was likely to be fit for Thursday.
The Kiwis, who lost 2-1 to England at home this year after winning the opening test, are desperately short of experience, particularly in the top order batting.
Vettori has shown himself to be a shrewd and thoughtful captain and his subtle orthodox left-arm spin and increasingly effective batting at number eight are vital to his team's hopes of success in the three-match series.
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