Kiwis hopes hit as Bond is ruled out

The fast bowler is now set to be sidelined for the entire three-match Test series against England.

Fast bowler Shane Bond was ruled out on Wednesday of New Zealand's second Test against England at Headingley starting on June 3 and is now set to be sidelined for the entire three-match series.

Bond, who missed the tourists' seven-wicket first Test defeat at Lord's concluded on Monday, is still working his way back to full fitness after a year out with a stress fracture of the back.

He did not bowl in the second innings of the Kiwis' final warm-up game before the first Test against Kent at Canterbury having complained of muscle stiffness.

New Zealand team manager Lindsay Crocker told AFP on Wednesday that Bond had been ruled out of the four-day tour match against Leicestershire starting Friday and hence would not be fit enough for the second Test.

"Shane won't play in the Leicestershire match starting Friday and as we won't have sufficiently loaded him up with bowling he won't be playing in the second Test," Crocker said.

And with the third match of the three-Test series at Trent Bridge due to start on June 10, just three days after the scheduled finish at Headingley, Crocker added it was likely that Bond would miss the whole series.

"If he doesn't bowl at Leicestershire that means he doesn't bowl at Headingley which means he is unlikely to have had enough bowling before Trent Bridge.

"What we want to do is to make sure he can participate in the rest of the tour. This (Bond not featuring in the Tests) was something we were aware of when we left New Zealand.

"We want to do the best by him because he is such an important asset for us long-term," Crocker added.

New Zealand, after the Test series is completed, are due to take part in a triangular one-day series here with England and the West Indies which will run from June 24 to July 11.

They face England in the series opener at Old Trafford on June 24.

Bond, 28, has taken 43 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of 24.30. His last Test was against Sri Lanka in Kandy in May 2003.