Broad in contention for opening South Africa Test

Stuart Broad's fitness for England's Test series against South Africa remains a doubt, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are hopeful he will recover in time.

England host the Proteas at Lord's on July 6, with Broad battling to shake off a heel injury in time to take his place in the bowling attack.

Broad suffered the injury during Nottinghamshire's County Championship win against Leicestershire and will miss his team's day-night match against Kent as a result, but the ECB said in a statement that Broad "hopes" to be fit for the Tests.

The 30-year-old is also a doubt for the One-Day Cup final against Surrey on July 1 and Notts coach Peter Moores said Broad will have to manage his fitness carefully.

"Stuart has been assessed by the medics over the last 24 hours," Moores said. "They have ruled him out of the Kent game for him to keep getting treatment, and then we'll wait to see how he responds to that treatment.

"Stuart has been around the block enough to know that's the way it is. He's got some pain and he's got a lot of cricket coming up so it needs sorting out. It's already started to settle and we'll have to see how it goes over the next four or five days

"He's desperate to play in the final, as you'd expect, and it's been fantastic to have him with us with the commitment he has shown to the club. We're all hoping it's going to be OK. He will do everything he can to be, and now we just have to be patient and see how it turns out."

England's all-time wicket-taker James Anderson made a successful return to fitness in Lancashire's win against Hampshire, taking 6-109 as his county won by an innings, but all-rounder Chris Woakes is struggling to recover from a side muscle tear.