Cricket: Bond warms to Gold Coast tour

Shane Bond's comeback was going so well he didn't want the season to end.

So he's delighted to have been named in an Academy team to take on two emerging players' sides from Australia and one from India, in Queensland in July.

"I find it bit of a pain coming straight out of winters to go on tours so, as a stepping stone, it's good," Bond said. "Plus, it's freezing cold here [Christchurch] so to have the chance to get out and play in 25 degrees will be good, too."

Bond made another comeback from stress fractures in his back towards the end of the State Championship for Canterbury and was happy with the progress he'd made with subtle changes to his bowling action.

New Zealand Cricket widened the brief of the touring side to include Bond and two other Black Caps returning from injury, Jacob Oram and Michael Papps. The squad, managed by Dayle Hadlee, leaves for Brisbane on June 27.