Mark Butcher: still hopeful of playing in the first Test

Mark Butcher has been ruled out of England's next tour match, against a Vice-Chancellor's XI starting on Friday, although he still hopes to be fit for the first Test at Sabina Park, which begins on March 11. "He'll continue to receive treatment over the next few days and we'll just have to see how the injury progresses," said an England spokesman. "We haven't ruled him out of the Test match as yet."

Butcher was fielding at mid-off on the second day of England's drawn tour match in Jamaica, when he moved to catch a ball being returned to the bowler. He appeared to go over on his ankle and collapsed to the ground, to the initial amusement of his team-mates. But it quickly became apparent that the damage was serious, and Butcher was carried off the field in some pain. A subsequent x-ray revealed a ligament sprain and he spent the evening on crutches and with the ankle strapped.

"It seems that Nasser was throwing the ball to Rikki Clarke but I thought he had thrown it to me," Butcher explained. "Rikki called 'mine' just as I went to catch it and as I came down I turned to see where he was and twisted the ankle. It made quite a nasty noise and I was concerned it was worse than has turned out. There are countless more dangerous things to do on a cricket field than trying to get the ball back to the bowler and to injure myself is such innocuous circumstances is quite upsetting."

Duncan Fletcher, England's coach, expressed his concern about Butcher's condition. "It's got to be a big concern for us when one of our key players is injured," he said. "He's batted really well for us over the last two years and he's a major component of that batting line-up. He's a left-handed batter, which is important, and he plays pace really well, but we'll only know how bad he is in a day or two."

Butcher has played in England's last 35 matches, but if he does miss the Jamaica Test then his place is sure to go to Paul Collingwood, who staked a bold claim for the No. 3 position with a century in today's match. Butcher should, at the very least, be fit for the Trinidad Test which starts on March 19.

"We won't be able to tell for 48 hours how much healing time will be needed," he admitted on Monday. "Tours are short and you don't get time to play much before the first Test. It's a big blow and the last thing I needed."