Distraught Jofra Archer breaks down in warm-up before play as ongoing elbow injury rules him out of fourth Test

A distraught Jofra Archer broke down in the warm-up before play with a recurrence of his elbow injury, ruling him out of the fourth Test against South Africa at the Wanderers.

Archer was bowling on the outfield along with Mark Wood and looked to be okay at first, but after one delivery he appeared to flex his right elbow and called over the team doctor.

England’s management group held a meeting on the outfield and it was decided not to risk Archer in the game. He looked to be visibly upset when Joe Root told him he was not playing. Archer has only managed one Test in this series due to the swelling and pain in his elbow.

“It was a very difficult decision. We were waiting on fitness results and Jofra was not made available,” said Root. “We could not guarantee he could get through the game. I’m very disappointed for him.”

Archer’s injury prevented Root from pairing him with Mark Wood to form one of England’s quickest ever bowling partnerships. Archer had looked sharp in the nets this week but perhaps exacerbated the injury by trying too hard to prove his fitness.

It has been a difficult first winter for Archer. He was flogged on dead pitches in New Zealand and was racially abused in the second Test at Mount Maunganui. He struggled for pace against South Africa at Centurion as his elbow injury started to worsen. England will now be hoping he can regain fitness for the Twenty20 series against South Africa. He has already been rested from the three-match ODI series that starts on February 4.

With Archer unavailable, England recalled Chris Woakes in place of Dom Bess to form an all-seam attack on the bounciest pitch in world cricket.

Woakes has not played a Test in this series, and has a poor overseas record, but the damp conditions in Johannesburg should help seam and swing.

Despite picking five seamers, Root opted to bat first after winning his sixth toss in a row this winter. Play was delayed until after lunch due to morning rain.