England trio miss final day of practice match as fitness race continues ahead of first South Africa Test

After completing a short net session on Saturday, it had been hoped that Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jack Leach might be fit enough to feature against South Africa A

Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jack Leach will not feature on the final day of England’s warmup match as their battle to prove their fitness ahead of the first Test against South Africa continues.

It had been hoped that the trio, who have been struggling with flu-like symptoms, might play some part on the third day of the game against South Africa A, which was downgraded from a first-class fixture after the illness bug which has swept through the tourists’ camp left Joe Root with a shortage of bowlers.

However, despite the three men enjoying a gentle practice net session on Saturday, none will take part at Benoni.

It means that even if all three come through and are fit to take part in the first Test at Centurion, none of them will have bowled a ball in anger since the tour of New Zealand.

Archer and Broad played both Tests in the series defeat, while Leach was left out of the second instalment at Hamilton, with England preferring to pick five seamers.

At this point, Broad is thought to be the furthest along in terms of his recovery and might be best placed to feature in the first Test against Faf du Plessis' side. He tweeted on Sunday that things were "looking up" after a difficult week.

Quite whether England would be prepared to gamble any further, especially given that James Anderson will also be playing his first Test since re-injuring his calf during the Ashes at Edgbaston, is unclear.

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