Steven Finn will be given his chance to stake a claim for a place in England’s team for the first Test against South Africa in this weekend’s final warm-up game in Pietermaritzburg.
England take on a strong South Africa A side containing six established internationals in their three-day game starting on Sunday.
And Finn, a late addition to the squad this week after overcoming the foot injury that ruled him out of the Test series against Pakistan in October and November, is in contention for the Boxing Day Test in Durban after impressing in the Potchefstroom nets this week.
The Middlesex fast bowler made a sensational return to Test cricket during last summer’s Ashes series following two years out of the team.
Now he will be given the opportunity to return to Test cricket just weeks after sustaining the bone stress injury in his left foot that looked to have ruled him out of the South Africa tour altogether when he wasn’t named in the original 16-man squad.
Standard Sport understands England will rest James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the Pietermaritzburg match as, with just two days in between the Durban and Cape Town Tests, they are reluctant to overwork their two main strike bowlers. Surrey’s left-arm seamer Mark Footitt is now out of the picture after his erratic display in the drawn opening tour game against a South Africa Invitational XI this week.
That means Finn, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes are set to be named in the team against South Africa A, with the trio effectively battling it out for the one final frontline seam-bowling position for Durban alongside Anderson and Broad.
Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach, said: “Having Finny back is an asset. He was bowling well in the summer before he got injured and may well feel he was the bowler in possession.
“CJ [Chris Jordan], going back to the West Indies, bowled well there before being left out in the summer and has come back to the squad. And Woaksey has bowled well too. They are all outstanding bowlers who can do a very good job for England.
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“It’s healthy for the side, selectors and head coach to have three quality bowlers competing for one spot. It will be a tough decision come Christmas Day and it will be my job to make sure they are all ready and in a great place to do the job.”
On Footitt, Gibson added: “It’s a step up but the key thing for him is to find the balance of managing his nerves and being as relaxed as he can to do what he has been doing for Derbyshire.”
