Cricket: Bond crocked again

New Zealand lost their manager, the toss, star fast bowler Shane Bond but fought back encouragingly after the Rest of South Africa had powered themselves into a commanding position in the first match of the Black Caps' tour of the Republic.

Injury-plagued speedster Bond is in danger of becoming the first casualty of New Zealand's tour of South Africa after a knee injury prevented him bowling on day two of the warm-up game against the Rest of South Africa.

Bond was resting at the team hotel after a pre-existing problem with his right knee. He complained of soreness after the opening day's play and team manager Lindsay Crocker said it was decided to not risk the right-armer.

Bond, a trump card in Stephen Fleming's bowling arsenal for the upcoming three-test series against the Proteas, bowled only 10 overs in three short spells at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, on the first day.

He was also troubled by overstepping, conceding nine no balls, and twice lost his run-up in an ill-fated final over that surrendered 22 as Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy powered to centuries.

However, the New Zealanders fought back on the second day, with James Franklin and Chris Martin taking key wickets as the Rest side fell from 335 for 3 to being all out for 395 at lunch.

Crocker was confident Bond, who had figures of one for 51 off 10 overs, was not in serious danger of missing the first test on Saturday.

"He's had a knee issue since the end of our summer. He's had a cortisone injection earlier this year and we've been able to manage it. At this stage we're not unduly worried, it's been managed before," Crocker said. "He had a bit of soreness and we decided not to wear him out."

Crocker himself was a crock after succumbing to a poisoned knee and Fleming made a bit of a poisoned call at the toss, condemning his team to a long day in the field after calling incorrectly to gift the hosts first use of a featherbed wicket.

New Zealand's test-strength attack staunched the initial run flow on what is regarded as South Africa's slickest outfield. But, in the final hour, Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy raced each other to centuries as the run rate resembled the tail-end flurry of a one-day international.

The South Africans ended the first of four days after the former Protea internationals bludgeoned 167 in the final session. At one point the Black Caps leaked 77 off nine overs - including 22 off premier paceman Bond - as the scoreboard rocketed past 300.

Captain McKenzie won the race to three figures by clubbing the bulk of the 22 surrendered by Bond in his wretched 10th over. Bond was brought back to share the new ball but an over later that responsibility was handed to James Franklin and Chris Martin, the former powerless as McKenzie hit the ball over slips to notch his 20th first-class century.

However, Duminy's departure triggered a dramatic batting collapse which saw the last seven wickets fall for just 40 runs as New Zealand swiftly erased memories of the first day's late evening meltdown. Martin made his second inroad when Davey Jacobs was snapped up in the gully by Jamie How.

Oram marked his international comeback with the wicket of Thami Tsolekile after Fleming took a sharp chance low down to his left after gloveman Brendon McCullum motioned to attempt the catch. Just two runs later at 387, Robin Peterson became the second run out victim of the innings when substitute fielder Jeetan Patel's return from long-on left Peterson stranded after a mid-pitch mix-up with McKenzie.

The South Africans last chance of posting a massive score disappeared when the resolute McKenzie, who was circumspect after resuming on 125, dragged an attempted drive off Franklin on to his stumps.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum was proved right when he insisted, after the first day, that the New Zealanders had stayed positive despite caving in at the death.

"We made good inroads initially but you cannot take anything away from those guys," McCullum said. "I thought that our bowlers, two days off the plane, kept running in pretty hard for us and, barring what the scoreboard says, I actually think it was a pretty productive day.

"We beat the bat plenty of times and on another day the scoreboard might have looked different.


At stumps on the second day of the four-day match between the Rest of South Africa and New Zealand:

Rest of South Africa

First innings (overnight 355-3)
A Petersen b Bond 2
S Cook run out (Franklin/McCullum) 13
J Ontong lbw Franklin 61
N McKenzie b Franklin 141
JP Duminy c Fleming b Martin 127
D Jacobs c How b Martin 4
T Tsolekile c Fleming b Oram 11
R Peterson run out (sub Patel/Vettori) 1
R Kleinveldt not out 4
G Kruger lbw Franklin 0
M Zondeki lbw Franklin 1
Extras (10lb 13nb 7w) 30
Total (all out, 117 overs) 395
Fall: 17 (Petersen), 42 (Cook) 107 (Ontong) 359 (Duminy) 363 (Jacobs) 385 (Tsolekile) 387 (Peterson) 391 (McKenzie) 391 (Kruger) 395 (Zondeki)
Bowling: Shane Bond 10-1-51-1 (9nb 5w); James Franklin 24-3-80-4 (2nb 1w); J Oram 21-10-46-1 (1nb); C Martin 20-5-74-2; D Vettori 29-3-95-0 (1nb); S Styris 13-3-39-0 (1w).

New Zealand

First innings
M Papps c A Petersen b Zondeki 6
J How lbw Kruger 11
P Fulton not out 36
S Fleming not out 96
Extras (10nb) 10
Total (for 2 wkts, 35.1 overs) 159
Fall: 21 (Papps) 26 (How)
Bowling: G Kruger 8-1-44-1 (4nb); M Zondeki 7.1-0-33-1 (3nb); R Kleinveldt 11-5-50-0 (3nb); R Peterson 9-3-32-0.

- NZPA