Collingwood: bruised left calf

Five days is a long time. I keep hearing people saying the game's already a draw but it's five days, 450 overs and things can happen.

Michael Vaughan
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England have delayed naming their starting XI for the deciding Test against New Zealand due to injury concerns over Paul Collingwood and James Anderson.

Both are expected to be fit for the match, which starts in Napier on Saturday, to allow England to retain the same team that won the second Test by 126 runs in Wellington.

A precautionary scan on all-rounder Collingwood's bruised left calf came back all clear on Thursday, while fast bowler Anderson is continuing to receive treatment on the left ankle he injured when playing football after the close of play on day three of the second Test.

Owais Shah and Matthew Hoggard are the obvious replacements in England's squad should either Collingwood or Anderson fail to recover in time.

New Zealand, meanwhile, have been forced to make changes after Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram were ruled out due to respective knee and hip problems.

The Black Caps have opted to hand debuts to teenage swing bowler Tim Southee and South African-born all-rounder Grant Elliott, a decision that England captain Michael Vaughan hopes his side can exploit.

Nervous

"They'll no doubt be very nervous, but we'll certainly respect them," Vaughan said of Elliott and Southee.

"If there's an opportunity where we can get on top of any bowler, we'll try and take that.

"We always try and look to start the game very well and try and get ahead on day one and that's exactly what we're going to try and do.

"It is an opportunity for us but New Zealand are a canny team and play good, street-wise cricket so it will still be a tough Test match.

"Grant Elliott played against us in Dunedin so we had a look at him there, but Southee we haven't seen too much of apart from the Twenty20 games.

"He's obviously got a lot of potential but they will be nervous going into their first games and if there's any chance we can make the most of that, we'll try and do that.

"They are without two experienced players and they will miss them but we've just got to try and come out and play a good game and try and get on top of New Zealand as quickly as we can and continue where we left off in Wellington."

The pitch at McLean Park is expected to be flat and batsmen-friendly, but Vaughan is confident of a positive result.

"Five days is a long time," he added. "I keep hearing people saying the game's already a draw but it's five days, 450 overs and things can happen.

"The lads said that during the one-dayers it had pace in the wicket and if you've got pace snicks will carry, so you can create opportunities."