Black Caps call in cover as injury crisis worsens

UPDATE: New Zealand batsman Hamish Rutherford has been called up as cover ahead of the third and final T20 against Sri Lanka on Friday.

The wounded Black Caps had faced the prospect of having just 10 fully fit players available for the series finale in Pallekele after two more players were injured during their win on Tuesday night.

Already missing Lockie Ferguson (fractured thumb) and Ross Taylor (hip flexor), Martin Guptill (abdominal) and Tom Bruce (knee) injured themselves during NZ's bruising four-wicket win that secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

It left their 14-man squad with just 10 fit players at match end, but the Black Caps have since confirmed that Taylor will be fit for the final match of the series, while Rutherford has been called in as cover.

The Black Caps also confirmed that Guptill will definitely be unavailable for Friday's game.

Even before Rutherford was called in, it appeared likely that either Taylor or Bruce could play in the series finale - even if not fully fit - with both players indicating their respective injuries weren't overly serious.

"(It was) more of a precautionary measure, nothing major," Taylor said when explaining his absence from Tuesday's match.

"I swung at the ball a bit too hard, swung and missed, and felt (the hip flexor) twinge a little bit."

Bruce added that the Black Caps are unlikely to train in the lead-up to Friday's match to ensure they suffer no further setbacks.

"The boys will rest and recover tomorrow, and I'm not too sure if we'll have a training the day before the game or not," he told Radio Sport Breakfast.

"Probably with the amount of injuries, we might just rest up again.

"I'll ice the knee and rest up the next couple of days. I think it should be right, fingers crossed anyway."

Retired Kiwi quick turned commentator Kyle Mills made light of his former side's injury plight during commentary on Tuesday, warming up his 40-year-old shoulders in the commentary box to indicate he's ready to make a comeback in the final match of the series if required.

Bruce shared a century partnership with Colin de Grandhomme to guide the Kiwis to victory on Tuesday, the pair putting on 109 for the fourth wicket as they chased down their target of 162 with two balls to spare.

De Grandhomme, who was dropped on 36, completed his fifty before falling to Isuru Udana for 59. He hit two fours and three sixes in his 46-ball blitz.

Bruce, a late inclusion in place of Taylor, made the most of the opportunity, scoring 53, but was run out at the start of the final over with the Kiwis needing seven to win.

Daryl Mitchell was out next ball and Mitchell Santner was nearly caught near the boundary by Shehan Jayasuriya on the third delivery, but the fielder tripped after a collision with his teammate and hit the rope with the ball in hand.

Jayasuriya and Kusal Mendis were both injured in the clash that cost Sri Lanka six runs and ended the final-over drama as Santner hit the winning boundary from the fourth ball.

Skipper Lasith Malinga said the two fielders "are alright and will play the next game, hopefully".

Earlier, New Zealand's bowlers, led by pacemen Seth Rance and skipper Tim Southee, restricted Sri Lanka to 9-161 to set up the win.

For Sri Lanka, Avishka Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella put on 68 runs for a crucial third-wicket stand but the rest of the batting did not make an impression.

Rance claimed three wickets while fellow paceman Southee returned impressive figures of 2-18 from his four overs.