LONDON — Dominic Bess and Craig Overton will join the England squad in South Africa due to the illness that has affected three key bowlers, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday.

The Somerset duo will act as cover with pace duo Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer laid low and spinner Jack Leach also unable to take part in their tour match beginning on Friday with South Africa A.

"Dominic Bess and Craig Overton have been called up to the England men's Test squad as cover ahead of the first Test starting on Boxing Day against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion due to illness in the camp," read the ECB statement.

"Bess and Overton are due to arrive at the team's base in Johannesburg on Saturday morning."

Overton, 25, who played the last of his four Tests against Australia in the summer, will provide pace back-up for Archer and Broad, while Bess will offer another spin option if county colleague Leach does not recover.

The trio and two backroom staff are suffering form flu-like symptoms.

Bess, 22, played two Tests against Pakistan in 2018 and may find himself picked ahead of Matt Parkinson, after the Lancashire spinner had 112 runs taken off him in his 20 overs earlier in the week.

The match with South Africa A has also been downgraded from a first class encounter to a three-day friendly.

England will play four Tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches during this tour, before moving on to Sri Lanka in March.

Anderson admits 'not

up to match speed yet'

England fast bowler James Anderson admitted Thursday that he is "not up to match speed yet", just a week out from the first Test against South Africa.

"I'm just looking to force my way into the Test side," he said ahead of a three-day match against South Africa A, starting at Willowmoore Park on Friday.

"I know I'm not up to match speed yet."

With 575 wickets in 149 matches, Anderson, 37, has taken more wickets in Test cricket than any other fast bowler but he said he still had "that hunger and desire to be back".

He said it had been difficult watching from the sidelines while he was out of action with a calf injury sustained in the first Test against Australia at Edgbaston in August.

Anderson bowled 11 overs in two spells against an Invitation XI on Wednesday.

He said he is "not far" from full match fitness.

"I think the second spell I bowled after lunch (when he took one for seven in five overs) was much better. I felt a much better rhythm. That's just the nature of bowling.

"I've bowled in the nets and in the middle in the last two weeks but you just can't recreate that match intensity. I think I was just a little bit off the pace in that first six overs.

"I'm sure if I bowl spell after spell in the next game, hopefully I will get better and better."

The first Test gets under way at Centurion on Dec. 26. — AFP