Proteas all-rounder Wayne Parnell’s shoulder injury sustained in the opening game of the Sunfoil Series season is unlikely to stop him from travelling to New Zealand next month for the ODI triangular series also featuring Australia.

Parnell injured his shoulder in the second innings of the match against the Knights in Bloemfontein – which the hosts won by 128 runs inside three days – and went for an expensive 1-74 in his 14 overs before getting hurt. He was unable to bat in the Warriors second innings after pulling a muscle.

However, Warriors coach Piet Botha told cricinfo.com that he was hopeful that Parnell would recover ‘in about 10 days’.

The Proteas ODI squad that travels to New Zealand is expected to be announced on Tuesday, but he has until 21 October, the opening encounter against the hosts, to get fully fit.

‘He is bowling really well. He showed good aggression and was bowling fast,’ Botha said. ‘Because of his pace, if he just a little off line, the ball can go to the boundary but he bowled really well on a pitch that was doing a bit.’

A domestic record 19 wickets had fallen on the first day of the game in Bloemfontein, with the Knights skittled for 140 and then bowling out the Warriors for 137 to essentially set up a second innings shootout. For the Knights to have reached 140 was actually a minor miracle after they were reeling at 32-8 before Quinton Friend and Corne Dry put on 98 for the ninth wicket.

‘We all misread the wicket, both sides would have batted first but there was a lot of moisture around,’ Botha said. ‘With everything being quite dead from the winter, the groundsmen seemed to need to add quite a bit of moisture to get it ready.’