Kiwi pace bowler Will O’Rourke out for 3 months with stress fracture

admin — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:25:00 +0000

New Zealand’s Will O’Rourke. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke will be sidelined for up to three months because of a stress fracture in his lower back.

O’Rourke sustained the injury during New Zealand’s test series in Zimbabwe earlier this month.

He will not have to undergo surgery but will take part in a strength and conditioning program.

O’Rourke is likely to miss New Zealand’s Twenty20 series against Australia, the T20 and one-day series against England in October and white ball series against the West Indies in November. He could return for New Zealand’s three-test series against the West Indies in December.

The 24-year-old O’Rourke has quickly become a mainstay of New Zealand’s pace attack, taking 39 wickets in 11 tests since his debut against South Africa last year.

Published – August 27, 2025 03:55 am IST

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New Zealand loses O’Rourke for 2nd test vs. Australia; Sears called up

admin — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:23:00 +0000

New Zealand’s Will O’Rourke. File.
| Photo Credit: AFP

New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke has been ruled out of the second cricket test against Australia with a hamstring strain.

Ben Sears, who has played 13 Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand but is uncapped in tests, has been called into the squad and is likely to play in the match which starts Friday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

In other injury news, opener Devon Conway will undergo surgery after damaging his left thumb during the T20 series against Australia, which will lengthen his absence from the New Zealand team to at least eight weeks.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead said O’Rourke will be out for up to four weeks and said Sears had impressed.

“Ben’s a young bowler with a quality skill set,” Stead said. “He bowls with genuine pace and gets good bounce which is always a great asset in red ball cricket.

“We’ve been really impressed by his performances for the Black Caps in white ball cricket this summer and believe he can make the step up to the test arena if called upon.”

Stead said the New Zealand selectors had not considered recalling Neil Wagner, the veteran seamer who retired from test cricket last week after missing selection for the first test.

“We reconsider a number of things,” Stead said. “But we thought in this case that the pace of Ben Sears and what he’s brought to us in international cricket so far is the difference that we needed.”

Australia leads the two-test series 1-0 after winning the opener at the Basin Reserve by 172 runs.

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Will O’Rourke – Artifex.News

Kiwi pace bowler Will O’Rourke out for 3 months with stress fracture

New Zealand loses O’Rourke for 2nd test vs. Australia; Sears called up