Struggling Dawson to be given another spin
ENGLAND look certain to give Liam Dawson one more chance at The Oval tomorrow to prove he belongs at the highest level. Dawson is set to be retained for the third Test even though he has looked out of his depth in the two matches that have left this Investec series poised at 1-1 with two to play. England assistant coach Paul Farbrace said yesterday: ‘This pitch tends to offer a bit for the spinners with it being dry underneath, so there is a fair chance two frontline spinners might play.’ That means Dawid Malan is likely to miss out on a debut in the 100th Test at The Oval, with England reluctant to drop Moeen Ali lower than No 7 in the batting order. It is an unimaginative move by England, even though Dawson seems to be merely keeping a place warm for Chris Woakes, whose side injury will keep him out until the Test series against West Indies next month. Unless Dawson confounds all expectations and shows he can be a Test-class all-rounder at The Oval or in the last Test at Old Trafford, he has little chance of appearing in the biggest series of all against Australia this winter. So there seems little point in persevering with him now, certainly as England’s No 1 spinner, even if he has twice dismissed Hashim Amla in a series when otherwise he has been little more than a passenger. Making his debut is Tom Westley, who bats at No 3 in place of injured Gary Ballance and is rewarded for his consistency for Essex and the Lions, including a century this season against South Africa. ‘Tom’s a natural run-scorer,’ said Farbrace of the 28-year-old. ‘He’s a very calm lad who has played enough cricket to know what his game is all about. He’s scored runs against good attacks.’ England will decide today whether Mark Wood is fit enough to play in three straight Tests for the first time, although he has only taken one wicket in the series. ‘We definitely see him as a game-changer and we want him to bowl flat out,’ added Farbrace. ‘We want him to be around for a long time to come, so we have to manage him carefully.’ If Wood misses out then Toby Roland-Jones will make his debut.