Steven Finn is a surprise contender for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Durban after impressing England’s coaches in the nets since joining the squad on Monday.
The Middlesex fast bowler was understood to be out of contention for the opening match of the series when he was added to the touring party earlier this week, with the second of the four Tests, starting in Cape Town on 2 January, his initial target.
Finn impressed in two Twenty20 matches for the England Lions in the United Arab Emirates last week, but was thought to be short of match fitness since recovering from the bone-stress injury that had ruled him out of the recent Test series against Pakistan in the Emirates.
England, though, have revised their opinion after the 26-year-old appeared close to full pace in the nets this week in Potchefstroom, where the tourists drew their opening tour game against a South Africa Invitational XI.
It means Finn is set to be given an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in England’s Test XI when the final three-day warm-up match against South Africa A starts in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach, said of Finn: “The understanding is that once he has made it here he is added to the squad and therefore if he proves in the next couple of days that he is ready, my understanding is that everybody is available for selection.
“He has been excellent. He has obviously done a lot of work in the UAE and the guys over there who looked after him did a great job getting him up to speed.
“He hasn’t played a game but given the facilities here he has done a lot of good stuff in the nets and put himself right in the frame.”
England are set to rest Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson for the Pietermaritzburg match despite the fact they bowled only 11 overs between them in Potchefstroom.
With just two days between the Durban and Cape Town Tests it is understood England are keen to preserve the energy of their two main strike bowlers.
Anderson, in particular, is having his workload managed carefully by the head coach Trevor Bayliss, who is aware that with 426 Test wickets to his name the 33-year-old needs little actual match preparation to be ready for Boxing Day.
“He has probably earned that over his career, the amount of overs he has bowled for England and the wickets he has taken,” said Gibson. “The stage he is at in his career you treat him slightly different to someone who’s just coming in, he’s a very experienced senior pro and he knows exactly what he needs to get himself ready for a Test match nowadays.”
The absence of Anderson and Broad means England are likely to name a seam attack of Finn, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes against South Africa A. All three will be competing for the one final place in England’s attack alongside Anderson and Broad, and the all-rounder Ben Stokes, for the first Test.
“It’s healthy for the side, selectors and head coach to have three quality bowlers competing for one spot,” said Gibson. “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.”
Mark Footitt is now out of contention after the 30-year-old left-arm fast bowler produced an erratic performance in his first senior England appearance in Potchefstroom. Gibson said: “There were obviously nerves and everything with it being his first bowl for England. He’s been around for a long time and he’s worked out how to take wickets in first-class cricket. And he’ll take some time to do the same in Test cricket – it’s another step up and it’s different.”
“The way he has taken wickets over the last couple of years should give him the confidence to believe he can do it here. 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 for the last two seasons.”
England arrived in Pietermaritzburg – the home town of Kevin Pietersen – on Friday after stopping overnight in Johannesburg on their way from Potchefstroom. They will take on a strong South Africa A team captained by Dane Vilas and including five other internationals in Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell, Chris Morris and Marchant de Lange.
South Africa’s Dale Steyn looks ready to face England on Boxing Day after coming through a fitness test in Cape Town.
The 32-year-old, the No1-ranked bowler in Test cricket, has been out with a groin strain since his country’s first Test against India in Mohali six weeks ago.
But he came through a rigorous workout at Newlands on Thursday and is now expected to be fit for the first Test against England.
