England struggle to rebuild after crushing defeat by SA
MIND the mental gap between England and South Africa in a test series that is threatening to veer off the rails for the home side.
South Africa have overcome the absence of Faf du Plessis at Lord’s – in happy circumstances – and that of Kagiso Rabada and Russell Domingo at Trent Bridge – in unhappy circumstances – to level matters with two matches to play.
The side had only four days between Lord’s and Trent Bridge to fix things.
Fix them they did‚ following the 211-run hiding they suffered in the first test with a 340-run thrashing of England in the second.
It was an impressive display of fortitude‚ and should South Africa hear a knock at that dressingroom door one of these days it could be England hoping to borrow a cup of the precious stuff.
But‚ for now‚ Joe Root’s team are reeling from one ridiculousness to the next.
Apparently‚ to give of his best, off-spinner Moeen Ali needs to believe he has been picked as a batsman and so is not England’s best slow bowler.
Good thing‚ then‚ that he made 87 in the first innings at Lord’s: that would help him explain away his match haul of 10/112.
Of course‚ to keep this charade going, England must pick another spinner as a decoy.
South Africa are probably a touch disappointed that Gary Ballance has been ruled out for the third test at The Oval on July 27 with a broken finger‚ courtesy of Morne Morkel at Trent Bridge.
Ballance has scored 75 runs in his four innings in the series‚ 34 in one trip to the crease‚ and has failed to impose himself on South Africa’s attack‚ as No 3s have to do to be successful.
But England went to the kind of effort that would have been better spent on a proper No 3 to try to ensure Ballance’s fitness for The Oval‚ even sending him to a hand specialist on Monday for a second medical opinion.
England should have recognised Ballance’s fate for the mercy it is and picked a player more suited to the role.
That would be too simple an idea for over-thinking England‚ who seem determined to wreck what is left of Jennings’s confidence by continuing to send him out to open.
Dawid Malan and Tom Westley have also been mentioned as possible replacements for Ballance.
Malan has averaged well above 40 for the last four seasons while Westley scored a century for England Lions against South Africa A in Worcester last month.
What is Westley’s strong point in England’s eyes?
He‚ unlike Mark Stoneman or Malan – or seven of England’s XI at Lord’s and Trent Bridge – bats right-handed.
You read that right: England have too many left-handers‚ some people say.
Try not to laugh. They take cricket seriously around here. –TimesLIVE