A setback for Australia heading into today's third cricket one dayer against the Black Caps in Hamilton.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke is returning home to Sydney for personal reasons. Clarke's fiancee Lara Bingle is suing a former boyfriend after a topless photo of her was published in a magazine.

Middle-order batsmen Adam Voges is likely to be in the XI for the match at Seddon Park.

Meanwhile, the Black Caps will leave it until the last possible moment before deciding whether Ross Taylor and James Franklin will play any part this afternoon. Both are battling hamstring injuries and are rated a 50-50 chance of playing.

Taylor is arguably the team's best batsman and was sorely missed in the game two defeat in Auckland, but skipper Daniel Vettori says he has not put any extra pressure on his vice-captain to play.

However, Taylor's expertise may well be needed if Seddon Park groundsman Karl Johnson's assessment of the pitch is accurate. Johnson says the wicket is likely to be a bit on the slow side because it is showing a a bit of wear and tear from last month's one off test against Bangladesh.

The third one dayer gets underway at two o'clock this afternoon.