Hoggard misses remainder of season

Matthew Hoggard, the England fast bowler, has undergone an MRI scan which has revealed no significant damage to the side strain which forced him out of Yorkshire's Championship match against Nottinghamshire on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the ECB this afternoon, it was confirmed he has sustained a minor abdominal strain and, consequently, will be rested from Yorkshire's remaining fixtures this season. Scott McAllister, the Yorkshire physio, maintained that resting Hoggard was purely a precautionary measure.

Of England's bowling attack for the Ashes squad, which was announced this week, only Sajid Mahmood and Monty Panesar are currently fit. Despite injuries to a number of key players, David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, allayed fears this week that England were revisiting history by sending an injured squad to Australia.

He is not viewed as a serious concern for the Ashes, which gets underway on November 23 at Brisbane.