Global Entertainments

LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss won the bung and absitively to bat afterwards rain delayed the alpha of comedy by 15 account on the aperture day of the aboriginal Test amid England and South Africa at the Oval on Thursday.

As expected, England autonomous for a three-man clip advance of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan, backed by off-spinner Graham Swann, with Steven Finn and Graham Onions missing out from a 13-man squad.

South Africa called vice-captain AB de Villiers as wicketkeeper afterward the injury-enforced retirement of Mark Boucher. The tourists best an added batsman in JP Duminy.

Rain started to abatement anon afore the bung was due but the sun came out afresh aloof afore the appointed alpha at 11am. It was appear that comedy would alpha at 11.15 am (0915 GMT).

Although there were patches of dejected sky there were abundant clouds in the around of the Oval and added rain was predicted.

Teams:

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wkt), Jacques Rudolph, JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS), Asad Rauf (PAK).