Ballance injury scare ahead of first Test

Gary Ballance's Test return is in doubt because of a groin injury which caused him to miss Yorkshire's NatWest T20 Blast tie in Derby on Sunday.

Ballance was a surprise call-up for England's squad for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's after striking a defiant century - his first of the season - in Yorkshire's defeat against the new Championship leaders Middlesex at Scarborough.

He will now be closely monitored by England's medical team ahead of the Test and, although he is making confident noises about his fitness, Yorkshire's director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, warned that his recovery could not entirely be taken for granted.

Moxon said: "Gary's got a bit of a tight groin which he sustained on Friday in the T20 against Birmingham. At this stage, we don't know whether he will be fit for the Test, but he may be okay."

Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire's coach, was a touch more optimistic, suggesting Ballance's absence was just precautionary: "He just pulled up a little bit stiff after Friday - I don't see any problem," he said.

Ballance was brought back into the Test fold for the first time in a year, inviting further examination of a technique which was unravelling towards the end of his first spell in the Test side but which he has insisted is adequate and refused to adjust to any great extent.