Black Caps monitoring Williamson and Taylor fitness

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Hamilton, March 1: New Zealand are monitoring the fitness of captain Kane Williamson and former skipper Ross Taylor ahead of the third one-day international against England on Saturday.

Williamson missed the defeat at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday due to a hamstring issue, but the Black Caps are hopeful he will return at Westpac Stadium.

Taylor, man of the match in the first ODI after scoring a century in a three-wicket win for the hosts, felt tightness in his quad before he was run out cheaply in the second match of the series.

The prolific batsman will be assessed in training on the eve of the day-night match in Wellington.

Mark Chapman will stay with the squad as cover after coming in as a replacement for Williamson in midweek.

Mitchell Santner has starred with the bat in the first two matches and the all-rounder wants to see New Zealand go hard at the England bowlers early in the innings.

"Our aggressive approach has been working, we've got to keep that up, and maybe try and take it to them a bit more in the first 10 just to get us a bit of momentum, but you've got to give credit where it's due," Santner said.

"If they bowl good balls we have to try and see out a spell, then try and cash in elsewhere. If the wicket is flat, you probably try to come hard at the top."

Source: OPTA