Watch out, Bond's back in the black

He is returning following a stress fracture in his back which has kept him out of international cricket for 12 months and is not regarded as a certainty for the First Test at Lord's on 20 May.

But such has been the impact Bond, 29, has made in his 10-Test career that he is considered by many judges to be the second-finest bowler to come out of New Zealand (the great Richard Hadlee remains in a class of his own).

"He is an outstanding fast bowler," says Surrey and former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon.

"He is very sharp, very exciting and, if he adjusts to the right length on English wickets, could be very dangerous.

"In my mind, the outcome of the series could hinge on whether he is totally fit."

Few people-are better placed to judge the merits of the current New Zealand squad than Rixon.

He had a highly impressive three-year spell in charge of the Kiwis in the late 1990s, the highlight of which was reaching the 1999 World Cup semi-finals and then beating England 2-1 in a Test series here.

"They have an extremely well-balanced side," says Rixon. "I look at the squad and I don't see too many weaknesses.

"They are well led, they have a top fast bowler in Shane Bond, a quality finger spinner in Daniel Vettori, a tidy wicketkeeper in Brendon McCullum and depth in their batting.

"Everyone contributes down the order with the bat. Vettori has a Test century and two 90s to his name and he normally bats at nine.

"They are a fighting team, they are experienced, well drilled and will be coming here determined to emulate the triumph of '99."

In the latest ICC Test rankings, New Zealand are in fifth position, just two points behind third-placed England.

Asked if the Black Caps will provide a sterner test than the West Indies, who also tour here later in the summer, Rixon laughs.

"There's no comparison," he says. "New Zealand would belt the West Indies. They completely outplayed South Africa recently and Souh Africa are supposed to be the second-best side in the world.

"It will be a good series. If it was played on neutral ground, I would make New

Zealand slight favourites.

"But the fact that England have home advantage and played so well in the West Indies makes it very even.

"I watched a lot of that series in the Caribbean. I thought that was a brilliant performance by England."

Rixon says the New Zealand side will have fond memories of their tour here in 1999, which ended in Nasser Hussain, who had just completed his first series in charge of England, being booed on the Oval balcony.

"I remember sitting up here singing, 'We Are The Champions'," recalls Rixon, as he is perched on the very same balcony.

"That was one of my greatest moments in cricket. I was hugely proud of that side.

"As a coach I always believe there should be some distance from the players. But I still keep in contact with a lot of players from that side.

"I speak to the Cairnses, Flemings, MacMillans and Astles every few weeks. They are a terrific bunch."

...Rixon's lowdown on three other Kiwi dangermen

Chris Cairns
33, all-rounder
Tests 59; Runs 3160; Ave 33.97;
Wickets 206; Average 29.27.
"He is retiring from Test cricket after this series and will be desperate to do well. He is probably not as effective as he was, but he is a match-winner. You don't lose that overnight. On his day, the best allrounder in the world."

Daniel Vettori
25, (left-arm spinner)
Tests 53; Runs 1315; Average 20.54;
Wickets 154; Average 37.80.
"He has had a lean time recently and is overdue a good series. He is a guy who will respond to the give in the wickets over here. He will get some spin and bite. He also has the ability to be a great fielder and an outstanding batsman."

Stephen Fleming
31, (captain and batsman)
Tests 82; Runs 5027; Average 38.08; Catches 121.
"Flem is now arguably the best leader in the game. He is a guy that knows how to get the best out of his players and has a good demeanour on the field. He is also contributing heavily with the bat, which he didn't do in the early days of his captaincy."