Tim Phillips out until June

Tim Phillips, the Essex left-arm spinner, will be out of action until June after undergoing knee surgery. He picked up the injury during a second team match against Surrey last week.

"Tim underwent surgery yesterday [Wednesday] to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee," said Essex physio Mark Thomas. "The surgery went well and he is expected to return to play in six weeks."

Phillips featured in Essex's opening Friends Provident Trophy match of the season against Kent but is now unlikely to return until around the start of the Twenty20 Cup in mid-June.

Elsewhere in the Essex camp there is better news ahead of the four-day match against New Zealand starting on Friday. James Foster has recovered from his thumb injury while Mark Pettini, the captain, is back to full health after missing part of the Championship match against Derbyshire with an eye infection.