Defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton told the bail hearing on Thursday that Mr Ryder was only punched once after initially sharing "a friendly drink" with the two accused men.He is now out of a medically-induced coma and out of intensive care. But he has been unable to help police with their investigations.Mr Eaton said that witness accounts describing the cricketer as being repeatedly punched and kicked were "wildly inaccurate" and that he had not in fact suffered a fractured skull.But his off-field behaviour - including drinking bouts and disciplinary problems - has limited him to only 18 Test caps since making his debut against Bangladesh in 2008.The two accused men, a 37-year-old and his 20-year-old nephew, cannot be named for legal reasons.Mr Ryder was in Christchurch with team-mates after playing for Wellington Firebirds in a domestic one-day competition. He had been due to fly to Delhi to begin a $300,000 (£200,000) contract in the Indian Premier League.A powerful left-handed batsman, Ryder's test batting average of 40.93 would ordinarily have seen him as a valuable asset to a New Zealand team that can ill-afford to be without a player of his natural ability, analysts say.
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