CONSISTENCY KEY FOR OUR NEW ENGLAND

ENGLAND’S Test team have got to work out how to back up one victory with another if they are to become the best in the world. And their new vicecaptain reckons their away record needs serious work too if they are to stop what Alastair Cook described as “stagnating”. Ben Stokes will officially be Joe Root’s deputy for the first time at Lord’s next Thursday when England face South Africa in the first Test, and the pair will thrash out where they want improvements when they meet on Monday.

Seven times in the last nine series, England have won a Test match only to lose the next one and Stokes (left, with Root) said: “Joe and I haven’t had many chats about the Test side just yet.

“We’re meeting up on July 3 and we will have one about what we’re going to do and where we’re going to go with it. We’re in a good position, but one area we do need to improve is our overseas record. We’re good at home, but could be more consistent.

“When we win a game, we are not very good at winning the next game, especially at the start of the series. It is almost like a bad omen over us, I think.

“But we have a good core of a side and, when it comes to skill and talent, we’re well covered to take on South Africa and the West Indies.”