Vernon Philander is set to play in the first Test against England after passing his fitness test.

This is excellent news for the Proteas, who were sweating over his fitness after he sustained an ankle injury while playing for Sussex against Leicestershire in early June. He missed the England Lions game and it became a race against time.

The 32-year-old will complete a full-strength pace attack, which also includes Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada. Chris Morris was in line to play had Philander missed out.

It’s looking increasingly unlikely, meanwhile, that Faf du Plessis will play at Lord’s. The Test skipper is still in South Africa as he settles things down after the birth of his child. The birth was believed to be a complicated one, and he missed the Lions game because of it. Dean Elgar will continue to skipper the side in his absence, should he not make it in time.