Oram under new injury cloud

Jacob Oram, the New Zealand allrounder, is under another injury cloud after suffering an Achilles tendon problem during the defeat to West Indies in the second one-day international in Christchurch.

It has been another injury-hit season for Oram, who flew home from the Test tour of Australia with a back problem and then succumbed to a calf injury as he prepared for the series against West Indies. Andy Moles, the New Zealand coach, believes the latest setback could be linked to the previous calf problem.

"The calf is fine. It's now just a case of finding out the extent of the referred pain he has in his Achilles tendon," he told NZPA. "It's a lot better this morning than it was last night but we just need to make sure it's nothing serious. We'll know that information once the medical people look at him."

Oram was one of eight New Zealand players due to turn out for their states on Monday in a bid to spend some time in the middle. The decision to release players for domestic duty was made when it appeared the second ODI was heading for washout, following the abandonment of the opening game in Queenstown.

Even though a 28-over contest was possible - which West Indies won with two balls to spare - Moles knows his batsmen are short of time in the middle as they look to level the series in Wellington on Wednesday.

"We've practised really well but there's no substitute for working in the middle," he said. "We spoke to the selectors and the players and the really pleasing thing was that the players were keen to go and play."

While Moles has a few selection issues to resolve because of form and injury, his opposite number John Dyson is hoping to have Shivnarine Chanderpaul back for the next match. Chanderpaul has missed the opening two games after soreness in his left hand but is making good progress.

"It's getting better. Hopefully by tomorrow morning when we go back into the nets he will be back in the nets and batting as he usually does for hours," Dyson said.

Dyson, though, was full of praise for how Ramnaresh Sarwan and Denesh Ramdin paced the run chase in Christchurch after the game appeared to be slipping away.

"I thought they played extremely well. Sarwan played a controlled innings and it was important that he was there at the finish," he said. "Ramdin came in and just gave us that little bit of punch that we needed to finish the game off."