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England call up Ramprakash

Mark Ramprakash was yesterday called up to bloster the English team in South Africa.

The Middlesex captain was summoned as cover for injured batsman Michael Vaughan. He was chosen ahead of stand-by batsmen Nick Knight and Graeme Hick and is expected to fly out immediately and join the rest of the 17-man squad in Durban in time for the the back-to-back Test matches over Christmas and the new year.

The third Test begins on Boxing Day and Vaughan hopes to be fit though he tested his damaged finger with a work-out in the nets yesterday and reported it as very sore. Maybe, that's why it was felt that a replacement was necessarry.

Although Nick Knight is the official standby, the selectors felt that Ramprakash is the best player to replace Vaughan. Also considered was Graeme Hick, who like Knight is joining the one-day squad after the Test series.

Knight was England's most consistent batsman in Australia last winter where he averaged 45, but in the aftermath of England's loss to New Zealand last summer - and amid the clamour for new faces - he was axed from this winter's tour party.

Agencies