SWINDON seamer Jon Lewis will keep himself in trim at the Loughborough academy this winter as back-up to England's Test attack.

The Gloucestershire star, 29 today, has been placed on stand-by for the tour of South Africa and will be one of a dozen permanent players to be based in the Midlands between October 10 and December 16.

The 16-man party which heads off for the five-match series in early December includes only four specialist pacemen in addition to all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and given England's recent record with injury on overseas tours, there is a good chance Lewis will join up with the full squad at some stage during the six weeks of Test cricket.

"I don't think anyone would begrudge me it," said Lewis.

"I've done well this year and last.

"The way they've selected it, they've gone for the extra batsman instead of the extra bowler.

"If it had been the other way round then I would have been included.

"But I'm very happy to be a replacement.

"I'll stay at home ready to go out if I'm needed.

"If not then I'll work on my game at Loughborough over the winter and hopefully become a better cricketer for next season."

Last winter England used seven seamers as well as Flintoff, Rikki Clarke and Paul Collingwood during their nine Test matches but mindful of a lack of first-class action on the tour, the four-man selection panel decided to neglect the option of Lewis dragging his heels in the nets.

"There was a lot of talk in our meeting about including an additional bowler but that would have left us without a versatile back-up to the all-rounder's position," said chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"Jon Lewis has been put on standby at the academy and with the world now a smaller place if something crops up we sincerely hope it does not there has been provision made."

Lewis, one of the most prolific bowlers in first-class cricket for almost a decade, has bagged more than 50 victims again this season.

He picked up two tail-end wickets yesterday morning to help skittle Northamptonshire for 222 in Gloucestershire's latest Division One match.

Lewis finished with 3-64 from 23.2 overs and former Northants skipper Mike Hussey then took over, hitting an unbeaten 58 as the visitors closed on 129-5.

YESTERDAY'S SCORES

Third One Day International

Dambulla: South Africa 191 (J H Kallis 52), Sri Lanka 192-6 (M S Atapattu 97 no). Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 4 wkts.

Frizzell County Championship

Division One Old Trafford: Kent 15-0 v Lancashire, no play yesterday. Northampton: Northants 222 (U Afzaal 96), Gloucestershire 129-5 (M E K Hussey 58 no). Edgbaston: Warwicks 346 (I J L Trott 90, I R Bell 87, N V Knight 65, R S C Martin-Jenkins 4-62), Sussex 125-1 (R R Montgomerie 73 no). Division Two no play yesterday.