ENG vs NZ | Devon Conway tests positive for Covid-19; starts five-day isolation

New Zealand's rendezvous with coronavirus sees no end. Opener Devon Conway joins the ever-growing list of members from the touring party to test positive for covid-19.

Conway underwent a PCR test before a scheduled team activity session in London on Wednesday evening. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player has already begun five days of isolation.

As per New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) release, no replacement has been sorted for the left-hander.

Conway became the fourth member to contract the virus, after all-rounder Michael Bracewell, Physio Vijay Vallabh, and strength & conditioning coach Chris Donaldson, who tested positive on Wednesday morning.

Bracewell, Vallabh, and Donaldson will travel to Leeds separately on Sunday and will most likely join the squad at Headingley on Tuesday for training.

Other players and support staff who tested negative will continue to follow health protocols laid out by the medical staff and will undergo testing if need be.

Skipper Kane Williamson joined the squad after recovering from Covid-19, which led to him missing the second Test at Trent Bridge. 

Ahead of the start of the series Blair Tickner, Henry Nicholls and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen also had their run-ins with the virus. Kyle Jamieson and Cam Fletcher were ruled out of the series after suffering injuries in the Nottingham Test on Day 3 and 4, respectively.

Tickner and Dane Cleaver were added to the squad as their cover. New Zealand are 0-2 behind in the 3-Test series and will look to avoid a clean sweep against Ben Stokes-led England when both sides clash at Leeds on June 23.

Covid managed to gain another casualty in the form of South Africa’s Aiden Markram, who has been ruled out of the ongoing 5-T20I series against India in India.

The stylish right-hander, who missed the first three games of the series has already spent a week in quarantine, before being ruled out.