ARCHER READY TO RETURN AFTER BURST IN NETS

Jofra archer looks certain to play in tomorrow’s final Test after returning to full fitness with a rapid and torrid spell yesterday in the Wanderers nets. archer (right) bowled around seven overs at full speed — causing considerable problems for team-mates Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow — for the first time since an elbow injury ruled him out of england’s victories at cape Town and Port elizabeth. Now only a reaction to a problem that first troubled archer in last summer’s World cup can keep him out of a Test against South africa that will be played on one of the quickest and bounciest pitches in the world. ‘Jofra came in with really good rhythm and pace today,’ said england assistant coach Graham Thorpe. ‘The elbow has been a big problem for him over the last couple of weeks and you can’t force that. You have to wait for the player to be confident with it. Jofra looks good but he will have to come in tomorrow and back it up. he bowled nice and quick today and that’s a place where we want him to be.’ england will give a work-out to Mark Wood before they decide whether to partner him with archer in a mouth-watering pace attack. Wood was sore after the Port elizabeth Test and must prove his body can withstand back-to-back Tests. If Wood and archer are fit then Dom Bess is the favourite to be left out, with the Wanderers pitch favouring pace more than spin. But there is a school of thought that playing would be good experience for Bess with australia in two years’ time in mind, and he could play ahead of seamer Sam curran. ‘We will have to see how Wood is and chris Woakes bowled very well today and is now fully fit,’ said Thorpe after a practice session restricted to those players who missed the third Test victory — and the out-of-form Buttler, who wanted another net session. ‘It’s nice to have all these options on the table,’ added Thorpe.