Jack Leach returns after concussion as England name XI for second Test against New Zealand

London : Spinner Jack Leach recovered from a concussion sustained in the first Test at Lord’s and was on Thursday named in an unchanged England playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, starting on Friday.

The 30-year-old suffered a concussion when he tried to stop a boundary in the sixth over on the first day of the Lord’s Test as he chased a Devon Conway drive to the backward-point boundary.As Leach dived, successfully dragging the ball back from the edge of the rope, he suffered the injury as his body rotated over the rope.

Though the bowler was able to walk from the field of play back to the pavilion after several minutes of treatment, he was withdrawn from the match after a subsequent check-up from the ECB medical team.Matt Parkinson, who claimed his maiden Test wicket with the final ball of New Zealand’s second innings, duly made his debut as the first concussion substitute in England’s Test history.

It seemed likely Parkinson would keep his place for the second, given that Leach had to serve a mandatory seven-day concussion protocol before being considered eligible for selection. However, he has taken his place back in the side at the earliest opportunity, with Parkinson returning to the bench.

Leach had been monitored by England’s medical staff since the incident, and was passed fit to play after undergoing a final assessment on Thursday.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson