Cricket: Fleming hopeful treatment may have him right for first test

1.00pm - By MARK GEENTY

CANTERBURY, ENGLAND - Stephen Fleming is bracing for a painful few days as he works overtime to revive his chances of leading New Zealand into next week's first cricket test against England.

Fleming will battle the pain barrier in a bid to strengthen the injury in his hip flexor which threatens to keep him out of Thursday's first test at Lord's.

His team-mates, led by Chris Cairns, will meanwhile don their woollen jumpers to take on Kent later tonight (10pm NZT) in their final four-day warm-up match.

Warm-up will be the key word after the tourists shivered today with beanies and gloves in gloomy 8degC temperatures at the historic St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, which features a centuries-old lime tree inside the backward point boundary.

Fleming, who will miss the match along with rested allrounder Jacob Oram and paceman Kyle Mills, was hopeful if not entirely optimistic today after being a spectator at training.

"The treatment is pretty intensive, you mix a bit of pain in and it's hard to know how much good it's done until you come out the other side," he said.

"We'll know after 3-4 days, and hopefully there's some improvement.

"If we're not on the right track it's back to the drawing board, so it may be a trip home. At this stage I'm hopeful of getting some strength into it, so I'll be able to play some part."

Fleming, who has carried the injury since the tour of India in November with the help of two cortisone injections, badly wanted time in the middle against Kent.

But treatment was seen as the best option as he struggles to run without discomfort.

"I'm frustrated. It's being hanging around a while since before Christmas. It's been a real problem through the summer and it's just unfortunate timing.

"At the end of the tour there's a window to try and get it right again, so I'll just work for that."

While Fleming's fitness is the big talking point, the Kent match is a crucial one for pacemen Shane Bond and Chris Martin, and opener Michael Papps.

Bond is nearing his old top speed with his remodelled action but coach John Bracewell remains cautious about rushing him back to test duty too soon after his back stress fractures.

A swag of wickets here though would make it tough to leave him out, though.

Martin is still in test contention, depending on the decision on Bond, but will need to show improvement on his early tour efforts when he has struggled with shifty run-ups.

Papps meanwhile needs big runs to retain his test place after scores of nought, one and six against British Universities and Worcestershire.

Fleming is prepared to open in the test matches, fitness permitting, with Nathan Astle looming as a likely No 3.

Captain Cairns said the Kent match was an ideal warm-up for Lord's -- on a quirky ground with a similar pronounced slope of around 3m from side to side.

"It's funny with the angles, when you're running in you're off balance slightly, and you fall away with the slope. It takes a little bit to get used to," said Cairns, yet to have a bat on the rain-affected tour.

Craig McMillan will play despite a fractured little finger which will be protected with a brace.

Kent will rest their imports Andrew Symonds of Australia and Mohammad Sami of Pakistan but have three current or recent England players in batsmen Robert Key and Ed Smith and gloveman Geraint Jones.

New Zealand: Chris Cairns (captain), Mark Richardson, Michael Papps, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, Chris Martin.

- NZPA