If selected for Thursday’s World Cup opener at The Oval in London, the pace generated by England seamer Liam Plunkett will be among several challenges for South Africa.

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Plunkett has been key to England’s rise to first position in the International Cricket Council’s rankings for ODI teams – and impressed in a five-nil series win over Pakistan earlier this month.

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Last week, he delivered a telling four-wicket haul in a warm-up fixture victory over Australia at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton.

‘I find it harder to bowl as quick as I used to consistently. But I feel that’s something that helps me. I’ll try and bowl the same speed, and sometimes it will come out at late 80s and sometimes it will come out at 81,’ said Plunkett.

‘So I feel I’ve got to use that as my variation. If I don’t know what speed it’s going to come out, the batters won’t either. I’ve gone through patches since I came back when I was bowling consistently quick.

‘We call our bowlers the ants, as they just do the job, go home and let the batters get the glory. We’ll take that. I just try and go about my business and do the hard yards with the boys in the middle, and make it as boring and difficult as possible for the batters.

‘Obviously it’s been harder now for people, as we can score at eight and nine an over so you know the batters will come after you. Maybe that’s helped with wickets because people know they need to score, and that gives you a chance to get wickets.’

Fellow seamer Jofra Archer, too, will likely be included in the XI for Thursday’s opener. The Barbados-born Archer qualified to play for England earlier this year – and was a late inclusion in the World Cup squad at the expense of left-arm seamer David Willey.

‘I’ve bowled about 20 overs in the last month in a match situation, which isn’t really ideal. The flip side of that is you get to rest, and I’ve had a long six months going back to October,’ added Archer.

‘I was 100% fit, but I guess they were just trying to rest me. I didn’t have any niggles or anything like that. I can get by, but personally I’ve not played a lot of 50-over cricket in the last year, so I just wanted to top up.’

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