NOW CONVINCE US
Final chance for prolific county star to prove Test class
England are ready to send James Vince back into the Test fray for a fourth time while keeping their fingers firmly crossed that he can finally convert one of the most stylish techniques in the country into tangible achievement.
Vince will play in the fourth Test against India on his home ground in Southampton next week if Jonny Bairstow’s fractured finger prevents him playing and the Hampshire captain knows this is his final chance to prove that a cover drive to die for is his ticket to big Test runs rather than a weakness that has seen him give away his wicket far too often.
It is one of England’s biggest recent frustrations that Vince has averaged just 24.90 in 13 matches spread over three spells since 2016 when he appears to have all the tools needed to become a class Test act. To be fair, that average went up to 30 during the winter and things could have been different had Vince not run himself out on 83 when playing well in the first ashes Test in Brisbane.
Vince, 27, looked like he had earned an extended run in the side when he scored 76 on his third comeback in Christchurch last winter but national selector Ed Smith understandably wanted to recall Jos Buttler in his place.
That led to Vince being jettisoned again ahead of this summer — he has played a one-day international this year — but Smith assured him if he scored prolifi- cally for Hampshire he would get another chance. Vince has done that, making 847 championship runs at 56.46, leading Hampshire to the Royal london Cup and, with the perfect timing so prevalent in his batting at its best, hitting 74 and 147 this week against nottinghamshire.
now he has been named in England’s 14-man squad and will probably bat at four at the ageas Bowl should Bairstow be ruled out, with Ben Stokes at five and Ollie Pope moving to where he should have been when first picked at six.
‘The selection panel felt this was the right time to reintroduce James,’ said Smith. ‘He returns to the England set-up in confident form and scoring runs.’
The fact Vince is right-handed was a key factor and means he will probably play ahead of Moeen ali because there is no question India’s key men in Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran ashwin are better- suited to bowling at left-handers.
That makes this Test such an important one for Keaton Jennings and alastair Cook, two left-handed openers at opposite ends of the career spectrum both fighting for their futures in these pivotal final two matches.
England have decided this would be the wrong time to jettison Jennings even though he is showing echoes of the same weaknesses that led to him being tormented by South africa and then dropped last year. Smith has proved himself capable of making big decisions but he is right to give Jennings one more chance to show he can adapt to the demanding batting conditions we are seeing in England.
In the case of Cook there is simply no one better and Smith and the selectors are hoping England’s record runscorer will prove he remains capable of saving his career at the ageas Bowl, as he did when the bulk of the cricketing world appeared to be calling for his captaincy head against India four years ago.
It is vital that the top order get it right this time — on what is expected to be the best batting pitch of the summer — especially after the defeat at Trent Bridge cut their lead in the series to 2-1. and coach Trevor Bayliss knows it. ‘ We had a chat on Sunday night,’ said Bayliss confirming
Sportsmail’s revelation that England staged an inquest after being bowled out in one session in their first innings at Trent Bridge.
‘We asked how the collapses happen, why they happen, what to do about it and not to let it happen again. We know they have got to play the situation and conditions but when you’ve played a certain way for a number of years it’s not always easy to change.
‘They are all aware of what they need to do to improve but it’s taking longer than we all hoped. I’d love to give them a magic pill and make it happen overnight but we believe these guys are our best players and will eventually be very good international cricketers.’
In the absence of a magic pill England will head to Southampton hoping the tried and tested and a comeback man in Vince can do the job instead. TREnT BRIdgE will stage three days of trial matches featuring county players to try out various formats for the controversial new Hundred competition from September 16.