January 29, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 19, 1429

CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand), Jan 28: England one-day captain Paul Collingwood was happy to hear New Zealand would be without star bowler Shane Bond but insisted on Monday the home side would still be formidable in the coming series.

The English cricket team arrived in New Zealand on Monday ahead of the start of the five-match one-day series and Collingwood said Bond, who has signed up for the rebel Indian Cricket League and therefore has been left out of the national side, was a major loss for the home team.

“Any bowler who bowls 80 miles an hour (130 kilometres per hour) plus is very difficult to play against,” Collingwood told a press conference here.

“He’s the spearhead of their attack and very good at the death as well, he’ll be a big loss,” said Collingwood of injury-prone Bond, 32.

But he added he was not expecting an easy ride against the Kiwis.

“It will be a massive challenge for us. We’ve played them a lot recently, in the World Cup, and they’re a very clever side.

“They beat Australia here last year, they’ve got world-class players that can take the game away from you.”

Collingwood cited batsman Ross Taylor, all-rounder Jacob Oram, wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum and skipper Daniel Vettori as major threats.

“I’ve always thought New Zealand are a canny side. No matter who comes in I’m sure they’ll put a good side out.

“The experience of Vettori is crucial... they’ve got key individuals in the side -- we know who they are.”

The tourists open their one-day campaign against New Zealand on Feb 9 following two warm-up matches and two Twenty20 games. Three Test matches follow in March.

England squads:

One-day: Paul Collingwood (captain), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright, Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara, Tim Ambrose, Phil Mustard, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett.

Test: Michael Vaughan (captain), Andrew Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Collingwood, Ambrose, Mustard, Anderson, Broad, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Sidebottom, Swann.

Schedule:

Feb 2: v Canterbury (Christchurch).

Feb 3: v Canterbury (Christchurch).

Feb 5: First Twenty20 (Auckland).

Feb 7: Second Twenty20 (Christchurch).

Feb 9: First One-day International (Wellington).

Feb 12: Second One-day International (Hamilton).

Feb 15: Third One-day International (Auckland).

Feb 20: Fourth One-day International (Napier).

Feb 23: Fifth One-day International (Christchurch).

Feb 25-26: v Otago (Dunedin).

Feb 28-March 1: v Otago (Dunedin).

March 5-9: First Test (Hamilton).

March 13-17: Second Test (Wellington).

March 22-26: Third Test (Napier).

—AFP