Injured Finn likely to miss fourth South Africa test

Published 01/18/2016, 9:59 AM EST

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via Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – England seamer Steven Finn appears likely to miss the fourth test against South Africa, which starts on Friday in Pretoria, because of a side strain, team officials confirmed on Monday.

Finn felt tightness in his left side during England’s series-clinching victory at the Wanderers and was sent for scans on Sunday, the day after England’s dramatic seven-wicket win put the tourists 2-0 ahead with one test to play.

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However, head coach Trevor Bayliss remains pessimistic about his chances of playing in the final test, paving the way for Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan or Mark Footitt to vie for a starting role at Centurion as England target an emphatic 3-0 success.

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“To be honest I doubt very much whether he’ll be available for the next test,” Bayliss told reporters. “We’ll have to wait and see how bad it is and make a decision on the one-day and Twenty20 series (following the tests).

“But at this stage it looks like we have to make a replacement there heading into the last test,” Bayliss added.

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“That’s unfortunate because I thought he was probably our most dangerous bowler in the first two tests.” Woakes played in the first test in Durban when England’s record wicket-taker James Anderson sat out with a calf strain while Jordan and uncapped Footitt did not feature in any of the first three matches of the series.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by John O’Brien)

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