Eng get Stokes boost
All-rounder Ben Stokes practised with the England team on Wednesday ahead of the first Test against South Africa, starting at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said that Stokes’ father, Ged, remained in intensive care in a Johannesburg hospital but had responded positively to treatment and was in a stable condition.
Ged Stokes, who had travelled to South Africa to watch the cricket, was admitted to hospital on Monday with what was described as a serious illness. Ben Stokes missed practice on Tuesday to be at his father’s bedside.
The statement said the Stokes family thanked people for their support of the family and in particular the medical practitioners who had treated Ged Stokes.
Although fast bowlers Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer appeared to have recovered from illness, which caused them to miss England’s two warm-up matches, three players - Jack Leach, Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes - missed the team’s final practice because of illness.
The statement said the three ill players had not been ruled out of selection for the Test.
VAN DER DUSSEN TO MAKE DEBUT
Meanwhile, South Africa batsman Rassie van der Dussen will make his Test debut in the first match of the series against England.
The 30-year-old Van der Dussen will bat at number five, captain Faf du Plessis said on Wednesday, in the place of Temba Bavuma who has been ruled out with a hip injury.
Van der Dussen is one of six uncapped players named in the squad chosen for the first two matches of the four-test series against England.
He had played 18 one-day and nine Twenty20 internationals and was one of the few South Africans who impressed at this year’s World Cup in England.
“He was a mature cricketer when he started for us in ODIs and is someone who knows his game very well‚“ Du Plessis said of Van der Dussen.
“He came into international cricket looking very comfortable and over the last season and a half has been very fruitful and scored a lot of runs in white ball cricket.
“He is calm and composed with the bat. You can just see it sometimes when someone is suited for international cricket and that’s been the case with him. I think he will be very much at home.”
Du Plessis said a decision on playing an extra bowler would be made on Thursday morning after assessing conditions at Centurion, Pretoria.
“We have asked for good wickets for this test series that offer both something to the bowler and batsmen,” the South Africa captain added.
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