Friday 21 / June / 2024
Centurion: England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler and Test captain Joe Root became the latest players from the visiting camp to be struck by a flu-like illness on their ongoing tour of South Africa on Saturday, 28 December.
Buttler, who made just 12 off 39 in England’s first-innings collapse of 181 in the Boxing Day series opener in Centurion, did not don the gloves on day three, and was replaced by Jonny Bairstow. Root, who made 29 from 49, left the field after the first hour of play, and although he returned later, looked visibly ill.
Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Jack Leach, along with two staff members from the England camp, have already been affected by the illness, while paceman Stuart Broad recovered in time to play the Test.
The hosts posted 284 in the first innings. They are currently batting, and have taken their lead to well past 250.
Aiden Markram, the South Africa opener, has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against England after fracturing a finger, Cricket South Africa stated on Saturday, 28 December.
Markram sustained a fracture to his “fourth left finger” during the second day of the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, and will require surgery.
The procedure is scheduled for early next week, and he is expected to be sidelined “for at least six weeks”.
“Aiden sustained a fracture affecting the distal joint of his left ring finger,” CSA’s chief medical officer Dr. Shuaib Manjra said. “After consulting with a number of hand specialists yesterday, we arrived at a decision that the best outcome would be achieved through surgical reduction and fixation.
