On the banks of the meandering River Msunduzi, in the final match before hostilities with South Africa begin in Durban on Boxing Day, Steven Finn somewhat muddied the waters for England’s selectors.
The right-arm quick, added to the squad only last week after recovering, ahead of schedule, from the early signs of a stress fracture to his left foot, claimed four wickets on a near-perfect day of preparation against the second-string Proteas in Pietermaritzburghere.
Bowling out South Africa A for 136 after winning the toss, England reached 64 for no loss when bad light brought an early close. Alex Hales, set to open on Saturday however he fared here, overcame a shaky start to reach 28 not out with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 36.
While Hales will swell in confidence after 87 minutes at the crease – a blow to his left index finger from seamer Marchant de Lange notwithstanding – the progress of Finn, and his four for 34 in 12 overs, was the standout plus to be drawn from England’s exertions at the charming City Oval.
Finn displayed some frustration at his initial omission – England did not want to carry a player rehabilitating from injury – but after looking strong through the crease, extracting good bounce from a green-tinged pitch and at one stage finding himself on a hat-trick mid-afternoon, he looks to be heading the queue of third seamers.
“I was disappointed to be left out in the first place because I know my body and thought I had a very good chance to be fit for the Boxing Day Test match,” said Finn. “But the selectors obviously didn’t think that, I had to accept that and it made me work doubly hard.”
“It was nice to get out there and get some overs under my belt. I’d like to think I’m ready for a Test match but it depends how I pull up over the next day or so because I haven’t spent this long on my feet for the last two and a half months.”
Back from the early detection of the problem a day before the first Test with Pakistan in October and with two Twenty20s for the Lions in the UAE under his belt, Finn found his groove with the wicket of Quinton de Kock in his first over.
Two lbw shouts against the opener Stephen Cook followed but it was in the afternoon when he truly clicked. Bowling from the Hullet End of this tree-lined ground, Finn picked up three wickets in nine balls, the first thanks to a superb diving catch by James Taylor as the No5, Omphile Ramela, went for 20.
Khaya Zondo then edged to Joe Root at second slip first ball and, though the wicketkeeper-captain, Dane Vilas, survived the hat-trick ball, Finn struck his front pad in the following over for the simplest of lbw decisions.
With only two days between the first and second Tests – and travel to factor in – England may yet consider holding Finn back for the latter in Cape Town; Chris Woakes, rested here with Jimmy Anderson, was favourite before this match.
Mark Footitt failed to further his own claims in 10 mixed overs in which he suffered cramp before lunch, although his ball to remove the opener Reeza Hendricks for 13, caught behind after squaring up the right-hander, highlighted the pace and angle the left-armer brings.
Ben Stokes, another injury doubt prior to the tour following the shoulder injury suffered in Sharjah in early November, cleaned the tail with three for 25, with Stuart Broad picking up the No3, Rilee Rousseau, the only player here in South Africa’s Test squad, for six caught behind.
Hales, meanwhile, held Finn’s first at his new position of third slip, effected a run-out from deep midwicket to remove the No9, Keshav Maharaj, and, despite some early fresh air shots against the Test seamer Marchant de Lange, batted closer to the standard of which he is clearly capable with five fours in his 57 balls faced.
Like England, Hashim Amla’s South African side are still searching for a solid opener since the retirement of Graeme Smith in 2014 and the 33-year-old Cook had earlier made his case for consideration by carrying his bat for an obdurate and unbeaten 53 from 170 balls, passing 11,000 first-class runs in the process.
The right-hander’s reprieve, when edging Moeen Ali to Stokes at first slip one run short of that landmark, was the only jot on an otherwise excellent report card for the tourists.
