Cricket: Bond to test injured knee in net session

Shane Bond

CENTURION - The Black Caps are anxious Shane Bond makes more than tentative steps back from the latest setback to his stop-start international cricket career.

Bond will test a strained right knee tendon during New Zealand's opening net session ahead of Saturday's first cricket test against South Africa at SuperSport Park.

The Canterbury paceman has been engaged in rehabilitation since the joint swelled late in the opening day of the Black Caps' warm-up match against the Rest of South Africa in Johannesburg last Friday.

Since then he has had a cortisone jab and daily icing to ease the discomfort.

Bond has pronounced himself fit to face the Proteas, but still faces an acid test when he runs in during the first of three scheduled pre-test workouts at about 9pm NZ time today.

Black Caps acting manager Gary Hermansson, who is deputising for Lindsay Crocker as he recovers from a debilitating knee infection, warned not to expect too much from the right armer until later in the week.

"We're not going to let him give it heaps," Hermansson said.

"Shane will be carefully managed by the physio (Dale Shackel) to ease himself back in. It will be standard stuff, he'll do a few overs so we can get a gauge on his progress."

Ideally, Bond's intensity will lift a notch on Thursday before he tapers off with a final session on Friday.

Hermansson, the team psychologist, said the cortisone jab administered on Friday appeared to have worked and management were also confident Bond will be available to spearhead a pace attack comprising fellow quicks Chris Martin and James Franklin.

Franklin and Martin bowled effectively in patches against the Rest of South Africa, with Franklin grabbing six wickets for the match.

Although the Black Caps attack noticeably lapsed late on day one as the effects of altitude took its toll, Rest of South Africa captain Neil McKenzie described the unit as threatening.

"They missed Shane (who only bowled 10 overs in the match) but they've still got a disciplined attack.

"I think they might have got carried away with the bounce and tried to bowl too short but I think they got it spot on the second day.

"Chris Martin hit some good areas, they're always at you, they don't give you too many bad balls."

New Zealand took seven for 40 before lunch on day two to ruin the South African's hopes of posting a 500-plus score. The match petered out to a rain-affected draw yesterday.

Meanwhile, Proteas captain Graeme Smith remains in doubt for the series opener after reinjuring the ring finger on his left hand during fielding practice before the final test against Australia last week.

A South African team spokesman said Smith saw a hand specialist yesterday and a splint protecting the chipped bone would be removed tomorrow.

He had to emerge unscathed from the Proteas' first training session on Thursday to be assured of renewing his rivalry with counterpart Stephen Fleming.

- NZPA