Vettori out of Black Caps must-win game

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New Zealand's premier bowler, Daniel Vettori, is out of tonight's final Super 8s match, due to an Achilles tendon strain.

The Black Caps have to beat the West Indies to have any chance of qualifying for the Twenty20 World Cup semifinals.

Provided they beat the Windies, then they have to sit and wait and hope that Sri Lanka record a comfortable win over England in the night's other match.

But those hopes have been dealt an enormous blow by the absence of Vettori.

He's been nursing the injury for the last day or so and finally failed a fitness test about an hour ago.

Fellow left-arm spinner Roneel Hira takes Vettori's place, for what will be his first match of the tournament.

There is one other change to the New Zealand team that lost to England by six wickets, with batsman Kane Williamson dropping out.

Quick bowler Doug Bracewell takes his spot. Bracewell had played against England in place of Jacob Oram, who was ruled out just prior to the start due to stomach illness.

Oram is back to full health and returns to a side which now boasts pace bowlers aplenty, with Oram, Bracewell, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee and James Franklin all likely to get overs during the West Indies' innings.

- © Fairfax NZ News