ENG vs NZ 2022, Trent Bridge Test: Kane Williamson to miss out after testing COVID positive

England and New Zealand will clash in the Trent Bridge Test on Friday. Meanwhile, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson will be missing out after testing COVID positive.

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England and New Zealand lock horns in the second Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from Friday. The hosts lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the opening Test at Lord's. Meanwhile, the visitors' bid to make a comeback in the series has taken a significant hit, as skipper Kane Williamson has tested positive for COVID. As usual, he will miss out on the Test while undergoing a five-day quarantine. He has minor symptoms, prompting him to take the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) test on Thursday, which came out positive. Meanwhile, opener Tom Latham will be leading the side in his absence, whereas Hamish Rutherford will be roped in as his replacement.

"It's such a shame for Kane to be forced to withdraw on the eve of such an important match. We're all feeling for him now and know how disappointed he will be. Hamish was with the Test squad earlier in the tour and had been playing for the Leicestershire Foxes in the T20 Vitality Blast," said NZ head coach Gary Stead on the even of the Test, reports ESPNCricinfo.

As for the remaining New Zealand side, it has tested negative in the RATs, while it would follow the protocol of symptom reporting and undergo subsequent tests if needed. Earlier, Henry Nicholls, Blair Tickner and Shane Jurgensen had tested positive before NZ's warm-up game against Sussex during this tour. In contrast, Latham has already led New Zealand on eight occasions, where he has a 50-50 record, having won and lost four apiece.