Samuels arrives to bolster West Indies

West Indies' squad in England will shortly be at full strength after issues preventing the arrival of three absent players were resolved.

The side went into their first warm-up match against Sussex with only 11 fit men, as Marlon Samuels had not managed to travel from India, where he has been playing for Pune Warriors in the IPL, in time and Guyanese pair Narsingh Deonarine and Assad Fudadin had struggled to obtain the requisite visas required to gain entry into the UK. Fidel Edwards also missed the game with a back injury.

Now, however, Samuels has arrived in London - he landed on Tuesday morning and has joined the rest of the squad in Northampton - while Deonarine and Fudadin have secured the visas they required. They hope to arrive in the UK on Wednesday. Both of them scored half-centuries on Sunday in Jamacian club cricket, with Deonarine also claiming 6 for 12 with his offspin.

"We have seen some progress," a West Indies team spokesman confirmed. "Samuels is here and the other two have their visas now - or they are in the process of getting them now - and the aim is still that they arrive ahead of the game against England Lions."

West Indies also reported no new injury concerns. Edwards, who has a history of back trouble, missed the warm-up game at Hove due to on-going "work load management" but is expected to be fit for the first Test, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who received treatment for a hand injury at Hove, is also fit.

West Indies' final warm-up game ahead of the Test series is a four-day fixture against England Lions starting in Northampton on Thursday.