Bond cleared of stress fracture

Shane Bond, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been cleared of a stress fracture in his back and will stay on in Australia for the remainder of the CB Series. The results of the MRI scan which he took in Sydney today showed no damage, allowing Bond and New Zealand to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"We've been down this path with him before, had bone scans, and it's a big exhalation of air for Shane and all of us when we know it's not that dreaded stress fracture," Lindsay Crocker, the team manager, told NZPA. "He's delighted that it's not that, but Shane shares the frustration of not knowing what it actually is."

Bond bowled eight overs and left the field during New Zealand's defeat to England at Hobart and complained of soreness the next morning. Crocker said Bond had a pool session and skipped the net session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as the soreness still remained. Bond may miss the next match against Australia at the SCG on Sunday to give him more time to recuperate.

"It doesn't appear to be major structural, so we want to keep him here and manage him through," Crocker said. "We'll just take it day by day. We'll start getting him back into work, racehorse style, and if he does suffer any further reaction beyond then, we'll do some further investigation as to whether it's a disc problem or other things happening."

John Bracewell, the coach, said that the team management had not sought a replacement for Bond. He added that the other fast bowlers on the recovery path - Jacob Oram, Scott Styris and Kyle Mills - will not be rushed in to join the squad after just one loss, and may be called-up on an individual basis, should the need arise.