England banking on flu-hit bowlers
ENGLAND’S flu-ridden bowlers emerged blinking into the harsh South African sunlight yesterday to take their first tentative steps towards a Boxing Day date with South Africa.
Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jack Leach went gingerly through their paces in a brief spell in the Benoni nets that carried far more importance than anything going on a few metres away between England and South Africa A.
For the past four days the trio have been stricken in their hotel in Sandton, 40 minutes away, exiled from the rest of the team through fear the illness that has struck the camp in their early days here might spread. Even yesterday they only appeared during the afternoon session while England were in the field to make sure they did not come within contaminating distance of team-mates who, in four days’ time, must take to Centurion for the first Test.
The good news is that the bowlers were all well enough to get through a brief session with only coaches Paul Col ling wood and Bruce French, strength and conditioning coach Phil Scott and back- up bats man and keeper Jonny Bairstow for company. The bad is that they looked far from fit and well.
Archer was the first squad member to become ill and perhaps set himself back when he travelled to Benoni with the team last Tuesday during their first warm-up to have a net session and undertake fitness work.
Yesterday he bowled for around 10 minutes before retreating to the dressing room at Willowmoore Park designated as the quarantine zone but was later able to also have a brief hit with the bat.
The same was possible for a very ashen-faced Broad, who undertook a similarly minimal workload before saying, a bit unconvincingly, ‘I’m getting there.’
Leach, who was hospitalised in New Zealand with a stomach problem, has perhaps been the hardest hit and it will be a big surprise if he plays on Boxing Day.
The official line is that the three are still working towards being available for the first Test but England will be much happier if they are at least able to replicate their net session in the middle during their final day of match practice today.
It would certainly be a blow for England to be without Archer or Broad at the start of this series but the huge call they will have to make is whether they can risk throwing t wo bowlers with s uch little preparation into a crucial Test.
And the picture is complicated by the fact there must be something of a gamble in propelling Jimmy Anderson into the fray in Centurion after a summer dogged by calf problems that restricted him to just four overs in the Ashes.
At least Anderson looked fit while bowling nine overs yesterday as what is left of England’s attack tried to take as much as possible from their workout against a South African A side who have at least provided reasonable opposition. As l ong as he does not have any reaction Anderson will surely make his 150th Test appearance on Boxing Day, a record for a bowler, and will be back leading an attack that has not been quite the same without him.
Who will join him remains anyone’s guess but the smart money is England will again be without a specialist spinner even if Leach suddenly makes a full recovery.
It appears, in the absence of Moeen Ali, England have decided their best hope of taking 20 wickets overseas with a Kookaburra ball is with an all- seam attack supplemented by captain Joe Root, who has looked their best spinner here.
Certainly Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has seemed nothing like ready. If Broad and Archer are fit it seems the last place will come down to a straight choice between Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.
The brightest news by far for England yesterday was what will surely be the first of many centuries in England colours for Ollie Pope before England declared on 456 for seven. The home side replied with 154 for two on a second day interrupted by bad light and flashes of lightning.