SWINDON cricket star Jon Lewis last night flew out to South Africa to act as cover for England's depleted pace attack in the final Test of their tour of South Africa.

Gloucestershire seamer Lewis was summoned from England's Academy to join the tourists as they prepare for the final match in Pretoria.

The 29-year-old former Churchfields School pupil told the Evening Advertiser from Heathrow Airport last night: "I got the call this morning (Sunday). It was a bit of a surprise, but obviously I'm very excited.''

Lewis, who is yet to play for his country but did feature in an initial one-day squad during last summer, is on standby for a team whose pace-bowling options have been significantly reduced as the current tour has progressed.

Steve Harmison began the trip as England's undisputed spearhead but has suffered an increasingly worrying dip in form and also picked up a calf injury in the first innings of the ongoing Test in Johannesburg.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff has had to carry a heavy workload despite having picked up a side strain in the third Test and James Anderson has been very ring-rusty at The Wanderers, where he is playing his first first-class match since the end of the English summer.

Lewis added: "I've just got to go out there, try to impress in the nets and see what happens.''