Injured Bennett out of Zimbabwe series

Hamish Bennett, the New Zealand fast bowler, will miss next month's tour of Zimbabwe due to a sore back.

A lower back soreness has put Bennett out of contention. "It seems like the trouble is muscular, the scans show nothing. I've just got to stop bowling for a few weeks and become pain-free, then I can resume gradually again," Bennett was quoted as saying in the Dominion Post. "It's really frustrating obviously but could be a lot worse, I guess. Things should settle down fairly quickly, I'm told."

"Unfortunately injuries are just part and parcel of being a fast bowler. I'm just due for a better run and hope I can get that over the remainder of the season."

Bennett, 24, has had a string of injuries since his surprise elevation to the national side last year. He suffered a groin strain on the opening day of his Test debut in India, ruling him out of the series. Earlier this year, an ankle injury put him out of the second half of New Zealand's run to the semi-finals in the World Cup.