Bond flies back home in despair

LEEDS, June 9, 2004:

     Shane Bond labelled it the biggest frustration of his cricket career, watching his New Zealand bowling mates take a hammering as he imagined himself causing carnage among England's batsmen.

     Bond left for home yesterday to rest his troublesome back while his battered and bewildered team-mates headed back down the M1 to Nottingham for tomorrow's third test after conceding the series 2-0 with a nine-wicket loss. It was disappointing for New Zealand that while their star paceman was throwing himself around as a substitute fielder, his back injury forced him out as a bowler on a landmine Headingley pitch. "I could have hurt someone. There were a lot of batsmen who got hurt," Bond said with a hint of a manic fast bowler's laugh. "It's always nice to think you can make a difference, and I offer the team something different with some pace. We saw what the England boys got out of it."

     Adding to the pain was an unwanted record for Bond, who turned 29 on Monday. In 10 previous tests, from which he snared 43 wickets at 24.30, he has never been part of a losing side - five wins and five draws until a stress fracture struck him down on the Sri Lanka tour in May last year.

     "The last two tests have been tough. It's the first time I've been involved in a squad that's lost a test match. It hasn't been a pleasant experience." The side's management stood by the decision to take just 14 players and six officials on the tour, despite their playing resources being stretched almost to breaking point. The tour reached its lowest ebb on Monday when Daniel Vettori's hamstring tear left New Zealand with just 10 fit players, no spin bowling back-up, and the prospect of going into the third test without a spinner. Captain Stephen Fleming appeared irked by the situation when asked about the size of the squad, saying it was "a question for John [Bracewell, the coach]".

     "Yeah, there are a lot of concerns. Getting 11 fit guys is one concern at the moment. We're getting guys up and down the motorway, but that's all," Fleming said. Batsman Mathew Sinclair and left-arm paceman James Franklin, both playing league cricket in England, are now part of the squad for the third test. But on the spinning front there is no one. The two leading candidates, Bruce Martin and Paul Wiseman, will not arrive in time to be considered for the test. Money is the reason for a reduced playing squad, with the England Cricket Board paying hotel bills for a tour party of only 20.

     Fleming was disappointed with the efforts of his pace spearheads Daryl Tuffey and Chris Martin. "The penetration we had with the ball was pretty nil."