Broad to rest with South Africa in mind

Stuart Broad will miss next week’s round of floodlit County Championship matches to rest his chronic foot injury but England are hopeful he will be fit for the first Test against South Africa.

Broad will be assessed in the nets at Lord’s at the end of next week in an attempt to prove his fitness for the Royal London Cup final next Saturday. If he plays for Nottinghamshire in that match against Surrey without a reaction he will be named in England’s squad for the first Test at Lord’s five days later.

Broad sparked concern when he left the field suffering pain in his left heel after bowling only one over for Nottinghamshire on Wednesday as they completed an innings win over Leicestershire. Scans have proved inconclusive and specialists have been divided over the problem. One scan picked up evidence of a small tear in the fat pad of his left heel, an injury he has suffered before and manages with the use of special boots.

Broad is now running without pain and England believe a week’s rest will solve the problem but he will have to prove his fitness in the Lord’s nets next week before the squad for the first Test on the Sunday.

Chris Woakes is unavailable for the first two Tests because of a torn muscle in his left side and James Anderson has only just recovered from a groin strain, so losing Broad would be a big blow for England.

Mark Wood appears certain to play his first Test in almost two years as Woakes’s replacement with Broad’s Nottinghamshire colleague Jake Ball the next in line if Broad is not fit. Ben Stokes is managing a knee problem so England may include another seamer.

Final whistle: S23 is announced