SCOREBOARD
England ask Broad and Archer to be honest over fitness
England won toss ENGLAND 56 R Burns
22 D Sibley ................. 103 J Denly ..............................
12 J Root .......... 47 B Stokes ............ .. 132 O Pope
32 J Buttler ............. 38 J Bairstow ........................... 14 Extras .............. 456 Total (7 wkts dec, 109.3 overs). Fall:
Bowling:
SOUTH AFRICA A
34 P Malan ............................
6 R Hendricks
111 K Petersen ..................... ...... 55 R Second
74 K Verreynne .......... 19 N Brand ............................... 26 Extras .......... 325 Total (5 wkts, 93.2 overs) .......... Fall:
Bowling:
Match drawn
ENGLAND will ask Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer to make an “honesty call” about their fitness for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
Both men have been struck down by illness and head into the series opener having sat out all five days of warm-up cricket, which concluded three hours ahead of time yesterday in a draw against South Africa A.
Spinner Jack Leach is similarly undercooked but he looks set to miss out anyway, with England seemingly ready to rely on the part-time spin of captain Joe Root and Joe Denly.
The question of what to do with Broad and Archer is thornier, with both men first-choice selections.
Broad is understood to have progressed best over the past couple of days, during which all three players have made gentle returns to the nets, and took part in the longest practice session yesterday.
The case for Archer is less clear-cut. England would dearly love to use his express pace and star quality at Supersport Park but he has been hit hard by the bug and, with just six Test and 35 first-class matches under his belt, may be unsure about what he can put himself through.
Root made it clear that a lot will depend on the players’ own account of their readiness. from RORY DOLLARD in Benoni
He said: “It’s a tricky one. They will do everything they can to be ready and that’s all you can ask.
“You want to make sure they can really let themselves go and get through 20 overs in a day, 25 if they absolutely had to – it’s a case of making an honesty call.
“A big part of it is that you don’t want to let the rest of the guys in the team down. You don’t want to say you’re fit to play if you’re not, then pull up and put the workload on the rest of the team.
“It’s a fine balance, with a bit of trust either way in making sure the right decision is made.”
The third and final day of England’s game against South Africa A ended in faintly comical fashion as the teams agreed to call time at just 2pm.
It transpired that an existing understanding that the match would be called as a draw during the tea interval was brought forward because the hosts did not have a new batsman padded up at the fall of a wicket. Keegan Petersen was last man out for 111 in a score of 325 for five. Jimmy Anderson
(inset) was again the pick of the attack. He finished with three for 41 in 19 overs as he prepares to return to the Test arena after five months out.