Bond in another injury scare

New Zealand’s woes could go from bad to worse with news that Shane Bond may have succumbed to injury yet again.

Bond was unable to complete his ten overs in today’s one-day loss to England in Hobart and left the ground early to seek treatment for stiffness in the lower back region.

This latest setback comes just two days after taking a spectacular hat-trick against Australia.

Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming was hopeful that the complaint was nothing serious and that the fast bowler would be fine in the morning.

“We think it is just muscular and we will see how he scrubs up tomorrow, and if it’s still sore he’ll have a scan,” he said.

“It’s been around for a while, so it just gets a bit stiff. and two games in three days has probably brought that on. But fingers crossed it is just that.”

With two losses from two starts on Australian soil, the latest coming at the hands of an out-of-form England without their best batsman, Fleming noted how much an injured Bond would impact the side.

“It’s always a little bit of a worry. He’s such an important part of the side and we know how much better we are when he’s in the side, so when he’s not quite right it sends a shiver through the camp, but we’re just hoping for this week we’ll manage him through and it’s not serious,” he said.