New Zealand come to terms with injuries

CAPE TOWN, Apr 26 (Reuters) New Zealand take the fieldin the second test against South Africa tomorrow without strike bowler Shane Bond and opening batsman Hamish Marshall who will both miss the match through injury.

Bond is suffering from a knee injury while Marshall has been ruled out with sore ribs. Seasoned middle order batsman Nathan Astle will play despite bone chips in his knee while left arm medium pacer James Franklin is also battling a knee injury.

All except Bond were part of the New Zealand team who lost the first test by 128 runs on a pitch of inconsistent bounce in Centurion last week.

Express bowler Bond, who has taken 64 wickets in 14 tests, has missed more games than he has played because of a series of serious injuries.

''It would have been great to have Shane, but it's not something we're used to,'' coach John Bracewell told a news conference.

''We've played more tests without him, and our bowlers are used to that. So it's not something that will have a great psychological effect over us.'' ''Everybody has their resources stretched from time to time.

In New Zealand, we're pretty used to it and we've learned to move on.

''Our depth is reasonably shallow because of our numbers.'' Bracewell was hopeful that the Newlands pitch would be more favourable to batsmen than the Centurion surface on which New Zealand were dismissed for 120 in their second innings.

GIBBS DROPPED ''Everybody struggled on that wicket while the ball was less than 30 overs old, and some side was going to get rolled for less than 150,'' Bracewell said.

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