Vettori out till new year with hamstring injury

Daniel Vettori could miss nearly a month due to the injury to his left hamstring that ruled him out of the second Test against Australia in Hobart. Vettori arrived at Bellerive Oval with tightness in the muscle and aggravated the problem during New Zealand's warm-up, forcing him out of the side and allowing fast bowler Trent Boult to make his debut.

Fortunately for New Zealand, their next international appointment is not until the end of January, when they take on Zimbabwe in a one-off Test. That means he should only miss out on Twenty20 cricket, with both New Zealand's HRV Cup and Australia's Big Bash League - Vettori has signed with the Brisbane Heat - to be played in late December and early January.

"Unfortunately Dan sustained a recurrence of his left hamstring injury that's been problematic for him over the last few years," the New Zealand physio Paul Close said. "We expect him to be rehabbing the injury and back to full fitness within three to four weeks. We are confident he will be back to play some HRV Cup cricket at some stage in the new year."

The loss of Vettori was a major blow for New Zealand in Hobart, after he again proved himself one of their most reliable batsmen in the first Test at the Gabba. He also sent down 37 overs and collected two wickets, keeping things tight in Australia's first innings, and in his absence New Zealand might need to find extra overs of part-time spin from Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill.

"He started to warm up and realised that it wasn't good enough and decided to pull the pin," the batsman Dean Brownlie said after play. "With it seaming, hopefully our four seamers can do the job. Hopefully it doesn't prove any price [cost] really."