England pace spearhead James Anderson faces a battle to be fit for the opening Test against South Africa in July after scans confirmed he had suffered a tear to his right groin when playing for Lancashire in the county championship. Anderson, England's leading Test wicket-taker, limped off midway through his sixth over on Friday against Yorkshire at Old Trafford and did not bowl again in the match. The 34-year-old will miss Lancashire's return fixture against Yorkshire starting June 2 as he will be assessed by England's medical team to understand the extend of the injury. Anderson, who missed four of England's last 10 Tests with a shoulder injury, could still feature in three county matches in June to prove his fitness ahead of the international season. England host South Africa in first of four Tests starting on July 6 at Lord's before welcoming West Indies in a three-match series to wrap up the Test summer in August and September. Stokes credits Smith, IPL stint for improving his game England all-rounder Ben Stokes says batting tips from Australia captain and IPL teammate Steve Smith was key to helping him improve as a player following a hugely successful debut season in the lucrative Indian Twenty20 tournament. Stokes was named the league's Most Valuable Player after the tournament ended on Sunday with his 12 wickets and 316 runs in 12 games helping the Rising Pune Supergiant to reach the final before he returned to England for international duty. "I felt like my game has got a lot better, from being able to work with the best players around the world and specialist coaches in that format," Stokes told British media as he continues preparations for next month's Champions Trophy. "My bowling has gone up another level, working with Eric Simons, from South Africa (Pune's bowling coach). Being able to work on those skills for six weeks was a really good thing." Stokes, however, singled out Pune captain Smith, who he will line up against in the Ashes later this year, for praise after the pair practiced together. "I remember doing a batting session with him, with some power-hitting towards the end," Stokes said. "The guy I'll actually be playing against in the Ashes was helping me, something you'd never fathom when we're playing against each other. The IPL is probably the only place where you would get that." Stokes did not play in the IPL final, which Pune lost to the Mumbai Indians by one run, as he was recalled to the England squad for a three-match One-Day International series against South Africa starting on May 24.
