Boje to have surgery after horror injury

England, too, have a worry for Saturday after Richard Johnson added another chapter to his catalogue of injuries. The Somerset pace bowler left the field with a groin problem after bowling eight overs during the South African innings.

After his explosive Test debut at Durham last month, Johnson suffered knee trouble which caused him to miss the one-day series against Pakistan.

Last night England explained his absence from the field as 'a precaution' and said a decision on his fitness for the final would be taken during their final training session at Lord's on Friday.

Should Johnson require prolonged rest, Craig White might have been considered for the first Test against South Africa, which starts in Birmingham two weeks tomorrow. But the Yorkshire all-rounder, who made an unbeaten 85 and took three wickets on his 30th and last Test appearance in Melbourne at Christmas, is expected to reveal today that his international career is at an end.

White, who had two inches of bone removed from a rib at the end of the World Cup, broke down again with a new rib problem at the weekend while attempting to bowl a bouncer at Surrey's Mark Butcher.

White, 33, will this morning be told the results of a scan on the injury and is expected to announce that his days as a bowler are over.