England set for test of Test form

England coach Duncan Fletcher has dismissed his side’s embarrassing loss to South Africa A and said the team were now focused on the fi...

England coach Duncan Fletcher has dismissed his side’s embarrassing loss to South Africa A and said the team were now focused on the first Test match against South Africa starting on Friday.

A first-choice England side were humbled by seven wickets in Potchefstroom in their only first-class match before the first Test in Port Elizabeth.

“You often treat those matches as practice matches,” said Fletcher at a news conference. “You’re trying to occupy the crease and score some runs but you’re also trying to win.

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“Some players just lose interest in those sort of games, they turn it on for test cricket.

“We’ve had a couple of meetings and the … players realise we’re playing test cricket now.”

South African all rounder Andrew Hall was also sceptical about England’s defeat. “England might have been experimenting, but we’re very well prepared and it’s going to be interesting to see how they bounce back,” said Hall.

England’s only selection issue is whether to play James Anderson or Simon Jones as the third seamer behind the new-ball pair of Stephen Harmison and Matthew Hoggard. Jones played in the Potchefstroom match.