Kane Williamson to miss second West Indies Test, Tom Latham to captain New Zealand

Will Young will bat at No.1 at Basin Reserve as the skipper leaves the group to be with pregnant partner Sarah

• West Indies duo Kemar Roach and Shane Dowrich ruled out of second New Zealand Test
• Kane Williamson set to miss New Zealand matches to attend birth of first child

New Zealand will be without captain Kane Williamson for the second Test against West Indies at Basin Reserve.

The 30-year-old has left the camp to be with his pregnant partner Sarah ahead of the birth of their first child.

Tom Latham will lead the Kiwis for just the second time for the concluding match of the series. They lead 1-0 after a victory by an innings and 134 runs win over the Windies in Hamilton.

Will Young, who debuted in that win, is set to bat at No.3 in place of Williamson who scored a career-best 251 at Seddon Park.

"It's a decision we have come to around, I guess, the best decision for him and Sarah, and also for our team long-term, and in terms of him being in a good place to be with Sarah as well," said coach Gary Stead.

"Young will come in and bat three, it's a logical replacement that he just slips into that position. Will's played there a lot, so, yeah, it's a natural replacement.

"Tom Latham will take over as captain. He has been Test captain before in the past for us, and he's got a calm head on his shoulders, and I know with a lot of other leaders in our team that he will lean on them for their support as well."

The 50-over World Cup runners-up were braced to lose Williamson for part of the summer, with Stead stating it was "much more important" for the talisman to attend the birth than to represent his country.

Latham led New Zealand for the first and only time earlier this year against Australia in Sydney, with the team falling to defeat by 279 runs.

It remains to be seen when Williamson will return to action. Following the end of the West Indies Tests, Pakistan play New Zealand in three T20s and two Tests in December and January.

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