Up and down England disturb Bayliss

ENGLAND’S frustrating inconsistency is becoming a major concern for coach Trevor Bayliss.

The team’s 340-run thrashing by South Africa in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Monday led to scathing criticism from several former England captains.

Michael Vaughan said the way Bayliss’s men batted betrayed a “lack of respect” for the demands of the five-day game.

It was also England’s sixth defeat in their last eight Tests and continued a trend under Bayliss where a thumping win – England beat South Africa by 211 runs in the series opener at Lord’s as Joe Root enjoyed a victory in his first Test as captain – is followed immediately by a huge loss.

England are now 1-1 with two to play ahead of next week’s third Test at The Oval, with a revitalised South Africa keen to maintain an impressive away record that has seen them lose just one of their previous 19 series on foreign soil.

With doubts persisting about their toporder batting, Australian coach Bayliss knows England must find a way to be able to backup wins if they are to avoid a rollercoaster defence of the Ashes ‘Down Under’ later this year.

“We’ve had a fairly honest discussion (in the changing room),” he said. “It is a concern.”

Bayliss added the players themselves had to do a fair amount of soul-searching.

“If you win one, I put the questions to them. ‘Is it the way we approach the game in that second one? Do we think we don’t have to do anything different?’

“We’ll go away over the next few days but when we get together again I’m sure we’ll sit down and have another discussion about it.”

Keaton Jennings, Alastair Cook’s (caricature) 11th opening partner at the top of the England order since former captain Andrew Strauss retired, has struggled against his native South Africa so far this series.

In-form Surrey batsman Mark Stoneman could be given a debut on his Oval home ground, with Jennings dropping down to three and Gary Ballance, if fit following a finger injury, moving from three to five.

With South Africa having deployed four quicks and just the one spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to good effect at Trent Bridge, England may follow a similar path by omitting left-armer Liam Dawson and retaining offspinner Moeen Ali. – AFP