Tait cleared of major damage

Shaun Tait, who made his debut at Trent Bridge, has been cleared of serious injury following scans of his right shoulder. Tait was taken to a London clinic yesterday by the team physiotherapist Errol Alcott to investigate some "mild shoulder soreness".

A Cricket Australia spokesman said the tests revealed a minor irritation of a muscle and he will continue to receive treatment for the problem. However, Tait is expected to be available for the two-day match against Essex at Chelmsford starting on Saturday, which is the Australians' last fixture before the fifth Test at The Oval.

"Shaun complained of some minor discomfort in his right shoulder following the fourth Test, and although we weren't overly concerned about the issue, I felt it was a good opportunity to have it looked at in more detail," Alcott said. "We will continue to treat the complaint."

Tait, who replaced Jason Gillespie, took 3 for 97 in the first innings at Trent Bridge, but he failed to add to his tally in a brief second-innings spell and England won by three wickets to take a 2-1 lead.