Jimmy Anderson has emerged as a serious injury doubt for the first Test with South Africa in Durban from Boxing Day, the leader of England’s bowling attack having undergone a scan on a tight right calf muscle.
Anderson, who bowled only five overs in the first warm-up match last week before being rested for England’s innings and 91-run win here over South Africa A, is understood to have felt the niggle since the start of the tour.
On Monday, after bowling in practice for the second day in a row, it was decided the problem needed and while Moeen Ali was claiming figures of six for 77 on the final morning in Pietermaritzburg, Anderson went to hospital with the England batting coach, Mark Ramprakash.
Those scans were then sent to the ECB medical staff in the UK, with an official update on his fitness now set be given when the team train on Christmas Eve, two days out from their series opener at Kingsmead.
The injury itself appears minor but a break of only two days between the first Test and the second in Cape Town from 2 January means the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, and captain, Alastair Cook, must decide whether their record wicket-taker is worth risking early; Anderson pulling up lame in Durban represents their biggest fear.
England had, until this news, appeared to be crescendoing smoothly into the four-Test series against the world’s No1 side, with Moeen’s six-wicket haul, which saw South Africa A all out for 187 in their second innings, the final piece in the jigsaw.
Cook and Joe Root had both scored hundreds in the match – the pair, like the England great Denis Compton before them, saw trees planted on the City Oval in their honour – while the new opener Alex Hales made his first half-century and Steven Finn proved his fitness and form with six wickets, including two on the final day.
With the left-armer Mark Footitt removing the nightwatchman Marchant de Lange at short leg with the first ball on day three, after South Africa A resumed on 35 for two, Moeen then ended a 67-run stand between Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw by removing both lbw in successive overs.
Finn continued his impressive match following a bone-stress injury to his left foot that saw him added to the tour only last week, picking up two for 30 from seven overs as Omphile Ramela was trapped in front and Khaya Zondo edged to Ben Stokes at gully; both went without scoring.
Moeen, who had bowled Reeza Hendricks through the gate late on day two, then mopped up the tail, with Chris Morris lbw for five, Keshav Maharaj bowled sweeping for 31 and Dane Paterson caught at deep mid-wicket by Hales, who made up for an earlier drop in the same position.
Though Graeme Swann claimed nine wickets in the Durban Test on England’s last tour to South Africa six years ago, Moeen is waiting to see what surface is prepared and admits the defensive side of his game still represents his biggest challenge as a bowler. “I’ll try and keep it as simple as I can and if it’s not spinning, I’ll hold up an end. I don’t do that very well but it’s something I’ve been working on since I’ve been here,” said the 28-year-old, who has sent down more international overs than any other bowler in 2015.
“I have worked on my action a little bit to make it more consistent. In the last couple of years I’ve changed my action quite a bit and I was always searching, but I feel like I’ve found something that helps me now.”
After scoring just 84 runs in six innings as an opener during the 2-0 defeat to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, the Durban Test will also see Moeen revert to the No8 position from which he swung merrily during last summer’s Ashes win.
“Obviously [opening] didn’t work. I enjoyed it and it was a good experience but I didn’t score the runs I’d have liked. I probably got caught in two minds at times whether to attack or not,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going back to No8, playing a few shots and freeing up. I can’t wait, it should be good.”
For South Africa, who go into the series on the back of a 3-0 defeat in India, the concern comes in seeing their next best XI so convincingly outplayed by the tourists.
Vinny Barnes, their coach, said: “I’m disappointed and I let players know that; these games are fantastic opportunities for players to put their hands up for selection.”
