Stokes progress leaves England in good heart

Not a lot can be gleaned from a light training session only hours after the flight has touched down on a new tour, but one sight at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom gave England an immediate warm glow.

It was the hulking presence of Ben Stokes, bowling pain-free again, continuing his rehabilitation from a collarbone injury in optimistic vein.

Stokes' departure from the field, clutching his displaced right shoulder, in in Sharjah six weeks ago invited the worst fears. Not only did it leave England a bowler short as Pakistan completed a 2-0 win in the series, it smacked of a long-term lay-off.

But Stokes, according to England's coach Trevor Bayliss, has been gradually stepping up his bowling for a few weeks now and confidence abounds that the two warm-up matches before the Boxing Day Test in Durban will be enough to get him back in trim.

"I'm pretty confident he will be fine," Bayliss said at England's arrival media conference. "He is not as guy who complains too much. He has been bowling now for a few weeks so we just have to get a few overs out of him in competition and a few hours with his batting."

With Steven Finn also enhancing his prospects of a belated call-up to the Test tour of South Africa with a hostile three-wicket comeback performance for England Lions in Dubai, things are looking up for England.

Bayliss sought to dampen down the excitement over Finn, who is recovering from a foot injury suffered in the UAE, careful not to encourage speculation that he might be summoned to the senior party sooner rather than later.

"We are preparing for this tour by planning without him," he said. "If he proves his fitness in the UAE and we do decide to bring him out here that will be an absolute bonus. There are one or two small hurdles but if he can get through and be bowling well I would expect to see him here at some stage."

That leaves the onus on Mark Footitt, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes to contest the final pace bowling place.

Add the potential fallout of South Africa's recent trouncing in India and, if the Test series has shifted at all in the last few weeks, it has moved in England's direction, even if South Africa remain strong favourites with the bookmakers.

"To win away from home is very difficult," Bayliss said. "The simple fact is we are playing the best team at home. We are under no illusions it will be a difficult tour."

Bayliss indicated that England are predisposed towards retaining Jonny Bairstow as Test wicketkeeper, despite the thrilling manner win which Jos Buttler put a demoralising run of form behind him when he recorded England's fastest ODI century in the UAE, and that Alex Hales will make his Test debut at opener. Hales would become Cook's eighth opening partner since Andrew Strauss' retirement

That leaves Nick Compton and Gary Ballance to contest the No. 3 spot available because of the absence of Ian Bell. "I have a little bit of a thought who it might be but we have two practice matches before that first Test which could go a long way towards finalising that position, Bayliss said.