Woakes set to miss first two Tests against Proteas

England seamer Chris Woakes is likely to miss the first two Tests of the four-match series against South Africa next month with the side strain that ruled him out of the Champions Trophy.
Woakes limped out of England’s opening Champions Trophy game against Bangladesh on 1 June after bowling only two overs and scans confirmed that he will be out of action for four to six weeks.
The Tests series against the Proteas starts at Lord’s on 6 July while the second Test takes place at Trent Bridge on 13 July and if he is out for six weeks, as he expects, Woakes would miss both those matches.
In quotes published on Cricinfo, Woakes said: “It’s a left side strain and there is a tear in the muscle. It’s a grade-two injury, which is not terrible news, but it’s not great news at the same time.
“They say it’s roughly a four- to six-week injury, and it’s more likely to be towards the six when I am back playing competitive cricket. I’m on day five of my recovery now, and the physios say for the first 10 to 14 days there’s not a lot we can do other than rest it.
“You don’t rule it out, but I’m probably up against it for the first Test. Sometimes these things heal quicker, sometimes they take longer, so we have to play it by ear.
“It’s also one of those things you can’t rush back – if you do, it can just ping again. You have to make sure you’re right before you come back. The timing of it is frustrating, it’s terrible, but it’s one of those things.”
England already have fitness concerns over fellow seamer James Anderson, who injured his groin playing in a domestic game, while allrounder Ben Stokes will have to manage his workload as he has troublesome knee.
Latest
-
County Cricket
Middlesex relegated from Division One as Kent survive on dramatic final day
Middlesex fell just short of the victory they needed at Nottinghamshire to stay up instead of Kent.
-
India
England captain Jos Buttler believes India are favourites for World Cup
The last three editions of the Cricket World Cup – India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019 – have been won by the host nation.
-
County Cricket
Surrey retain County Championship title after Essex batting collapse
The holders have been crowned champions for the 21st time.
-
County Cricket
Geoffrey Boycott: Everybody in Newcastle hates Mike Ashley amid Headingley links
The PA news agency understands the Frasers Group, where Ashley is chief executive, is one of the parties interested in purchasing Headingley.
-
County Cricket
Essex’s slim hopes of winning County Championship dented by Northamptonshire
Essex need at least 400 to have any chance of claiming top spot.
-
England
Matthew Mott: Jofra Archer ‘desperate to play but realistic’ ahead of World Cup
The 28-year-old is not expected to be ready to return to action until the tournament is close to a conclusion.
-
County Cricket
Umpire Sue Redfern makes history in County Championship match at Glamorgan
Redfern became the first woman to stand as an umpire in a men’s first-class match in England and Wales.
-
England
England’s summer ends in soggy fashion and prompts a call for innovation
The one-day international against Ireland at Bristol was abandoned.
-
England
England win ODI series against Ireland after play is abandoned at Bristol
Ben Duckett had scored a century and Phil Salt 61 off just 28 balls before rain stopped play.