Harmison workout lift for England

Steve Harmison tests out the injured side that caused him to miss England's final warm-up match before the Ashes © Getty Images

England's preparations for the first Test were given a lift as Steve Harmison underwent a workout in the nets at the Adelaide Oval. However, there are still no guarantees that he will be fit for Brisbane and England will wait until Sunday morning to assess his fitness to see how he responds.

Harmison began gingerly off two or three steps but he stepped up the pace before bowling off a longer run. Andrew Flintoff, the England captain, said Harmison would be re-assessed early on Sunday on the team's return to the ground for the final day against South Australia.

"Harmy's bowled somewhere between 12 and 15 overs. He's run in, he's bowled and injuries for fast bowlers are part-and-parcel of the job, so we just have to see what happens tomorrow morning, how he pulls up. He's a key player for England, has been for a numerous time now in the Test side. We still want Harmy fit, but we'll know more in the morning."

After Harmison woke up on Friday morning with pain in his side, the England management took the decision not to risk him against South Australia, calling in Sajid Mahmood. The problem was a recurrence of the one that caused him to miss the one-day series against Pakistan in September. He went for a scan which proved inconclusive before being given a cortisone injection.

A spokesman said that the team management was "pleased with the way he came through". However, Duncan Fletcher has voiced his concerns about Harmison's lack of bowling ahead of the Ashes with him having sent down just 25 overs in competitive action on the tour.

"He's been an effective bowler for us and the other bowlers feed off him," Fletcher said on Friday. "We've just got to monitor the amount of balls he bowls because we've got to get some mileage in his legs."

Meanwhile, Flintoff was satisfied with his steady build-up to next Thursday's Ashes opener in Brisbane after returning to full bowling duties following his ankle injury. "In the first innings I bowled a little bit quicker than what I have done and I'm pleased with the way I'm progressing," he said. "I've had no ill-effects from the ankle, everything's been fine, I'll bowl a few more overs tomorrow just to top up a little bit."