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Butcher: Is there a better matchwinner than Broad?
England fast bowler Steven Finn looks certain to miss the final Test against South Africa in Centurion after sustaining a side strain on the final day of the third Test in Johannesburg.
Finn, rated by coach Trevor Bayliss as England’s “best bowler” in the first couple of Tests, underwent a scan on his left side on Sunday morning. While the results were not yet known, Bayliss feared Finn will miss the Test and quite possibly the limited-overs section of the tour.
“I doubt very much whether he will be available for the next Test,” Bayliss said. “We will have to wait and see how bad it is and make a decision on the one-day and T20 games. At this stage, it looks like we will have to make a replacement heading into the last Test. It’s unfortunate, because I thought he bowled with good pace and bounce and was probably our most dangerous bowler in the first two Tests.”
There was a more encouraging development for the team with the news that Stuart Broad had become the first England bowler to top the ICC Test bowling rankings since Steve Harmison in 2004. Broad started the third Test in third place, after his man-of-the-match performance in Johannesburg, has gone above R Ashwin and Dale Steyn.
Before Harmison, Ian Botham was the last England bowler to top the bowling rankings. He reached No. 1 in 1980.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo