Sears set for club cricket stint in Melbourne

New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears will have a stint in Victoria Premier cricket in Melbourne as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

He will play six games - five T20s and a 50-over one-dayer - for Melbourne University Cricket Club with the hope he will then be available for the start of the Super Smash competition with Wellington in late December. Should Sears be fit he will be in New Zealand's plans for the T20 World Cup in February.

Sears, 27, has been sidelined since the T20I series against Australia in early October having had a previous hamstring injury which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy in February. The decision has been made to send him to Melbourne due to a lack of short-form cricket currently being played in New Zealand with the Plunket Shield taking place.

"Ben has missed a large portion of cricket in two out of the last three summers, so it was important for him to get as much cricket as possible on grass wickets leading into his Super Smash return," New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.

"He's a big part of our future plans and with an important period of T20 cricket ahead of us, we want to ensure Ben has the safest and most appropriate return to play plan in place. He's been progressing well and we're looking forward to seeing how he gets on in Melbourne."

Sears, who has played one Test, four ODIs and 22 T20Is, is one of a number of New Zealand's quicks who have recently been sidelined. Will O'Rourke is continuing his recovery from a back stress fracture, Lockie Ferguson has had a hamstring problem and Adam Milne an ankle injury. Kyle Jamieson, meanwhile, is having his comeback from a back injury carefully managed.

Their has depth has been on show in recent white-ball series against West Indies and England with Jacon Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner all impressing.