Ballance back for England
England will spring a surprise by naming liam dawson in their squad for Thursday’s first Test against South africa — and will also recall gary Ballance.
But Hampshire spinner dawson could miss out if they opt to give a first cap to Middlesex seamer Toby Roland-Jones.
The 12-man squad for lord’s will be confirmed this morning but
Sportsmail can reveal that dawson and Roland- Jones are included along with Ballance, the Yorkshire batsman who was dropped over the winter following a poor run in what was his second stab at Test cricket. This will now be his third time on the big stage.
But Ballance, who is averaging more than 101 in this season’s county championship, is known to be a favourite of England’s new Test captain Joe Root, who attended the selection meeting at Worcester’s new Road yesterday.
One source close to the discussion said: ‘You have to be fair to Joe in his first series.’
Ballance could even go straight in at no 3 to allow his captain to fill his favoured slot at no 4.
The selection means no place for Roland- Jones’s county colleague dawid Malan, who had impressed coach Trevor Bayliss during a series- clinching 78 off 44 balls in the third Twenty20 international against South africa on Sunday.
also omitted are Surrey’s inform opener Mark Stoneman, Hampshire leg- spinner Mason Crane, who struggled for England lions against South africa at Worcester yesterday, conceding 89 in 16 wicketless overs — and fellow leg spinner adil Rashid, whose Test days look numbered.
dawson, on the other hand, is clearly regarded as a safe pair of hands, despite a modest domestic record that has brought him only 151 first- class wickets in 125 matches at an average of almost 37. But Root was impressed with the way he held up an end during his Test debut in Chennai before Christmas, when India racked up 759 for seven — the highest score England have conceded. dawson also made an unbeaten 66 in the first innings.
Whether he wins a second cap will depend on conditions at lord’s next week. Roland- Jones, who made his one- day international debut at his home ground against South africa in May, could form part of a five-man seam attack — a reflection, perhaps, of the selectors’ concerns over Ben Stokes’s knee and Stuart Broad’s heel.
South africa’s batsmen showed some good form at Worcester with half- centuries for Heino Kuhn, Hashim amla, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock in their 382 for six against England lions.