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England have been itching to bring Darren Gough back into their seam attack, but yesterday David Graveney disclosed that the Yorkshireman's return from injury would be delayed until at least the fourth and final Test against New Zealand in a month's time.

Gough's setback at least solved one ticklish problem for Graveney and his England selectors, who were considering him for tomorrow's second Test at Lord's until they realised he had no hope of recovering from a tendon strain in his left shin, a worse injury than the more common shin splints.

An England supporter living in Kent has been berating the chairman of selectors in two letters - two different names, same handwriting for the mistake of omitting England's No 1 bowler, and he returned in disgust two torn-up Test match tickets he had bought.

Graveney sent back a polite reply explaining that Gough was injured and that the fast bowler was certainly in the selectors' thoughts. He enclosed the ticket fragments, hoping his critic would use them after all.

This latest injury episode is a sickening setback for Gough. His only chance of returning to Test cricket this summer involves missing Yorkshire's NatWest Trophy quarter-final at Lancashire next Wednesday and giving up his first chance to appear in a Lord's cup final - the Benson and Hedges Super Cup the following Sunday on Aug 1.

After more than a year free of serious injury Gough seemed to sail through the World Cup, but the greater physical demands of four-day championship cricket caused reaction in his leg. He suffered severe soreness after last week's Warwickshire game and is due to see a specialist to assess the problem tomorrow.

Graveney said: ``He's back to square one, I think. It is of increasing concern to me, as this has great similarities to a couple of years ago. What seems to be a short-term injury suddenly becomes a long-term one.''

He added: ``We need him to prove to us he could bowl longer and longer spells, but there is actually no four-day cricket for him between the second and third Test. I went to see him bowl at Edgbaston. You could never detect, bowling-wise, that there was any particular problem. It just hurts when he wakes up the following morning.''

With Gough out of the frame, the selectors could select the same group of seam bowlers who helped win the first Test at Edgbaston, and there is every likelihood the same team will take the field at Lord's, with Dean Headley again left out.

Even without Gough, England's seam attack should pose problems for New Zealand, even on what has been predicted to be the mildest batting strip at Lord's for many years.

Andrew Caddick, who looks stronger each year, has continued in impressive form, and during the nets at Lord's yesterday he was whipping the ball through off a few paces, hitting the seam consistently and hustling the batsmen into errors.

Dean Cosker, the Glamorgan and England A left-armer, was drafted into yesterday's nets to augment the spin bowling of Phil Tufnell, who has cemented his England place after an unexpectedly good showing in the first Test. Furthermore, the Birmingham crowd seemed to adopt him as a minor hero, and the Middlesex left-armer can expect a favourable, if more reserved, reception at Lord's, his home ground.

New Zealand kept their practice brief yesterday to attend a lunch at the National Sporting Club. At least one change to their team seems certain for Lord's, as Simon Doull is unlikely to be risked after a knee operation.