Cricket: Niggling injury puts Fleming out of line-up

By Richard Boock

CHRISTCHURCH - New Zealand will start tomorrow's second cricket test against South Africa with a vastly altered batting line-up after Stephen Fleming withdrew from calculations yesterday morning.

Fleming, who had been bracketed with middle-order rookie Gary Stead, pulled out of the test build-up after finding his troublesome groin injury had responded poorly to a fitness test the previous evening.

His unavailability means Stead will take his place in a Kiwi batting order which carries no resemblance to the line-up chosen for the test against India at Wellington back in late December.

"The problem was the basic exercise of running between the wickets," Fleming said yesterday after announcing his withdrawal. "There's a niggle where the tendon was cut - a hot spot if you like - which restricts me to about 80 per cent performance.

"Obtaining that extra 20 per cent is a bit of a journey into the unknown for us, as far as predicting when it will be right is concerned. But I'd still like to be ready for the last test, and the three one-dayers that follow."

However, the team's medical staff have ruled out setting another target date, releasing a statement last night which emphasised that Fleming's return to cricket would depend on his degree of function rather than any game or date.

The only positive aspect of his decision to pull out is that the 27-year-old Stead can now prepare for the second Bank of New Zealand test in Christchurch safe in the knowledge that he will definitely be required in the playing 11.

Stead, who is likely to bat at either No 5 or No 6, depending on where Chris Harris is used, said yesterday it was good to know where he stood in the countdown to the test, although he had not let the uncertainty bother him unduly.

"I had a pretty restless night last night," he said.

"But I was always going to prepare as if I was playing anyway, so this just makes everything a bit more definite."

The New Zealand selectors have been forced through injury to make at least one change in each test to their top-order batting since playing India at the Basin Reserve, to the extent that just one player - Matt Horne - has been available throughout.

Convener Ross Dykes said the past couple of months had been frustrating, but added that he was greatly encouraged by the efforts of those picked as replacements.

"I think it shows New Zealand cricket in a quite healthy light when we can lose so many of our top batsmen and still select what looks like a fairly competitive line-up.

"It's been heartening to see batsmen like Roger Twose, Bryan Young and Chris Harris making a contribution after being called up, and we naturally hope that trend continues at Christchurch."

Horne, who will open with his third partner in four tests when he and Young face the South African new ball, said the rejigging of the batting order meant there was a shade more pressure on the established players to produce results.

"There's perhaps a little more emphasis on us making runs at the top now, but we received a huge boost by keeping the South African attack out in Auckland, when I think they expected us to fall over.

"It's also true that we've had a decent look at their bowlers, although the flip-side is that they've had a pretty good look at us."

Pictured: Stephen Fleming.