21.07.1999 - Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan are likely to share the role of a fourth seamer as injuries to the pace contingent continue to hamper New Zealand's preparation for the second cricket test against England starting at Lord's tomorrow.

While Simon Doull and Shayne O'Connor are recovering from knee and back injuries respectively, coach Steve Rixon confirmed neither was in contention for the test side, although Doull was improving quicker than expected.

"It looks like we'll be going in with three seamers - Astle and McMillan will share the fourth role," Rixon said yesterday.

Spinner Daniel Vettori makes up the attack, with Rixon convinced the team has enough bowling options at their disposal to pose problems for the home side.

Rixon said it was unlikely Doull would have to be replaced as his knee injury was recovering well after minor surgery.

Also on a positive note, Rixon said Geoff Allott (groin) and Dion Nash (side strain) had responded well to treatment and, like the rest of the squad, were "bursting" to play at Lord's.

A fully fit Chris Cairns makes up the pace trio.

Although the team had a rest day yesterday and only a light practice today, Rixon said Nash and Allott would be working particularly hard in the nets after being used sparingly in the match against Kent.

Astle, however, got plenty of practice for his role as a change bowler, trundling down 33 overs of medium pace in Kent's second innings, earning the team's best figures of three for 53.

Under pressure for his lack of form with the bat, Rixon said the Cantabrian also shone at the crease, carving out 121.

"The way he went about his game impressed me. Matt Horne [172] also looks like he's in good touch.

"McMillan and Stephen Fleming got out relatively cheaply but they were in charge of their defence for a good part of their innings," Rixon said.

Overall he was happy with the batting application: "We had some meetings and at the end of the day the guys responded well."

Rixon said he had noticed a different attitude compared with the mood before the opening test defeat at Edgbaston.

"The guys are a little bit more upbeat than the first test. For one thing we're one-nil down, and two is it's Lord's.

"Everyone sees Lord's as a place where they'd like to go down in the history books. If you're going to have a really good game this is the place to do it."

Rixon had not seen the Lord's wicket but thought New Zealand might have gained a psychological advantage by batting soundly against Kent, on a Canterbury track that featured an incline.

"Kent's ground is similar to Lord's. It has a slant on the wicket, why they gave us the opportunity of playing there I don't know."

The team will be announced tomorrow morning and is unlikely to differ significantly from the side which played against Kent.

New Zealand (possible): Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Daniel Vettori, Geoff Allott.

England squad: Nasser Hussain (captain), Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash, Aftab Habib, Chris Read, Andy Caddick, Alex Tudor, Alan Mullally, Dean Headley, Phil Tufnell.