Vincent underwent heart surgery 5 days before test
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WELLINGTON, March 19: New Zealand's Lou Vincent played in the first Test against England just five days after undergoing a "small" heart operation, he revealed Tuesday. "It was a tough week physically and mentally," said the 23-year-old batsman.

"I went under the knife on Friday and felt I would be alright by the Wednesday to play. It was only a small operation, but it affected me more than I thought it would," said Vincent, who scored 12 and nought in last week's first Test in Christchurch.

Vincent has had a minor condition which affects his heartbeat since he was 16. He said his first cricketing struggle with a racing heartbeat came during the triangular one-day series in Australia earlier this year. "I suffered this after a game a couple of times and I had a serum injected into the heart to shut it down and then start it up again," said Vincent.

"I was getting used to that, but when I got back to New Zealand it was decided to do something about it. I was booked in for the operation, but I didn't expect to have it five days before a Test match." The operation, which Vincent described as a simple exercise, was performed under local anaesthetic.

"They went in through the groin and went up to the heart," he said. "Then they put a little bulb up there and burnt the end of the nerve. It was funny watching this all going on on the screen, but it was a weird feeling as well with bits and pieces attached to you."

Vincent scored 104 and 54 on his Test debut against Australia in the third Test in Perth in December, but then made nought and 23 against Bangladesh later the same month.

He said he "didn't want to let the lads down" in Christchurch and thought he was fine to play. But he soon realised on the first day he was not. "I couldn't be myself. Normally I'm bouncing off walls with adrenaline to get out there and play, but I wasn't in the days leading up to the Test," Vincent said.

"This one is different because I've had even more time and I've been feeling great again," he said referring to the second Test in Wellington. Vincent said he felt pressure to perform in the Christchurch Test, which was won by England by 98 runs, but did not think he would be dropped.

"I've only played three Tests, so I would have been really disappointed to have been dropped," he said. "But that's what it's about. I'm there to perform and I intend to do it here."

Vincent said Matthew Hoggard's bowling was phenomenal in the first innings. "He had me in trouble from the start and had me dropped twice," he said. "I knew the end was coming at any time the way I was feeling, but I am satisfied he got me with a beauty that anyone would have struggled with."

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori defied a back problem to play a full part in New Zealand practice Tuesday, New Zealand Cricket medical expert Warren Frost said. "Daniel is under constant surveillance," Frost said. "We are going to use all the time available to us to decide whether he is fit to play in the second Test."

He said that decision would be delayed until Thursday morning just before the start of the match. Vettori's injury is to soft tissue and not bone, which was the cause of his major back problem picked up against Australia in early 2000 and aggravated again in Zimbabwe in September.

The latest injury forced him out of all cricket for six months and he only played One-day Internationals when he returned to the side.

"Daniel is going to have back problem all his career," Frost said. "That's a fact of life, so we have to ensure he is handled the right way. If the medical panel passes him fit for the Test, at the end of the day the decision is not ours, it's Daniel's."

Vettori failed to get a wicket in the Christchurch Test but top-scored with 42 in New Zealand's first innings of 147 after coming in as a night watchman.

The other injury worry for New Zealand is Chris Martin, the medium fast bowler and 12th man in Christchurch. He is also suffering back pain, but took a full part in practice.

-Reuters


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