Penn likely to miss second Test match

New Zealand's injury jinx struck again this week with fast bowler Andrew Penn almost certain to be ruled out of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match against South Africa which starts at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

Penn, flown to South Africa after a succession of sprains and strains and tears had decimated the tourists' fast bowling resources, aggravated a strain in his side after taking five for 38 in New Zealand's three-day game against Border at the weekend.

"It looks very unlikely he'll be available," said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming on Wednesday. "So we still have the question mark as to which two of the bowlers will accompany Shayne O'Connor."

Chris Martin would be New Zealand's first choice with the last place going to either Daryl Tuffey, who played in Bloemfontein, or Kerry Walmsley. Martin sat out the Border match in East London, resting a slight stomach strain and on Tuesday evening, according to Fleming, "came through a reasonable workload". If at all possible, the Black Caps will include him on Thursday.

But Tuffey looks likely to lose his place to Walmsley if Martin is fit, despite taking five wickets in the Border second innings in East London. Throughout his South Africa tour Tuffey has been plagued by inconsistency and the Black Cap management may well have lost patience with him.

Fleming said Walmsley had impressed him in the Border match. "I thought he bowled with aggression, which I think is important and is going to be important, and he bowled a good line, so, yes, I was impressed with him," said Fleming.

"It's a case of you have the incumbent who has performed indifferently, which has been quoted by the coach, to a guy who is showing aggression, but there's still that question mark and I guess that's the position the injuries have put us in," he said.

South Africa have no such concerns and will field that side that won by five wickets in Bloemfontein. For the home side's point of view, attention has largely been centred on the St George's Park pitch which is likely to be harder and quicker than Bloemfontein.

South African fast bowler Allan Donald, who took his 300th Test wicket in Bloemfontein, has publicly called for quicker wickets to restore the balance between bat and ball and he will probably have this request granted over the next few days.

But however much grass is left on the surface and however hard it is to start with, if the Westerly wind blows in Port Elizabeth - and it was blowing on Wednesday - the pitch will dry out. In this case there should still be a fair bit of work for the spinners, South Africa's Nicky Boje and New Zealand's Brooke Walker, on the last two days.