Cricket: Hayden in doubt for opening test

A back-in-form Matthew Hayden is in danger of missing the start of the test cricket series against New Zealand after sustaining a painful shoulder injury in last night's one-day win here.

Hayden suffered a grade one strain to the AC joint landing heavily on the point of his right shoulder in taking a spectacular outfield catch as the Black Caps fell 106 runs short at Jade Stadium.

The injury could sideline him for up to three weeks which would rule him out of the rest of the five-match one-day series and cost him a berth in the first test in Christchurch starting on March 10.

Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouri hoped Hayden could still be available for Saturday's third one-dayer in Auckland and said a better prognosis would be known tomorrow.

"There are extremes, it can take three weeks and it can take three days. We'll know in two days time," Kountouri said.

"At the moment he couldn't bat now and I doubt he could bat tomorrow. But we have an extra break ... so hopefully he'll get over it.

"They're pretty painful and it's hard to lift his arm at the moment. It's very swollen."

Any time out of the game would be an unlucky blow for the big Queenslander who put a much-publicised form slump behind him with a commanding 114 off 124 balls last night.

- AAP