Cook takes EPP reins

Having led England out in the second Twenty20 against South Africa, Cook will take charge of the EPP's clash with Gauteng

Alastair Cook will captain the England Performance Programme against Gauteng Strikers in the opening match of their trip to South Africa.

Cook, who led his country for the first time in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa, joined up with the EPP at their base in Pretoria as he awaits the start of the Test series.

He will take charge of a side containing five other members of the Test squad - Ian Bell, Steven Davies, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and Ryan Sidebottom - for the four-day practice game at the University of Pretoria High Performance Centre starting tomorrow.

The match, which will not carry first-class status, will see both sides field 12 players. Mark Davies will not bat for the tourists, while Gauteng will allow an EPP player to bat for them in each innings.

EPP team: Alastair Cook (captain), Stephen Moore, Ian Bell, Michael Carberry, Steven Davies (wicketkeeper), James Taylor, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Ryan Sidebottom, Amjad Khan, Steven Finn, Mark Davies (non-batting).