The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Root’s milestone shows way for toiling new boys
England captain passes 5,000 Test runs, but South Africa exposes weaknesses in top order
Joe Root continued to shrug off the burdens of captaincy with yet another half-century in the fourth Investec Test, but South Africa again exposed frailties in England’s top order.
Root made 52 of the hosts’ 260 for six on day one at Emirates Old Trafford, inking his name into the annals as the third youngest batsman to pass 5,000 Test runs and equalling John Edrich’s English record of 10 successive games with a half-century score.
The 26-year-old has clearly not suffered any dip in form since inheriting the blazer this summer, but the failure of newer faces around him means England routinely need more than mere fifties from him to make up for other shortcomings.
Ben Stokes added 58 vital runs before losing his stumps late on but, further up, Keaton Jennings’ troubled spell continued with a limp 17, Tom Westley was flattered by his 29 and Dawid Malan cut a hangdog figure after his third straight failure at this level.
There were three batting slots up for grabs at the start of the series, which England leads 2-1, and as it winds towards an end there are more questions than answers.
The James Anderson End was formally christened before play but any prospect of the home favourite immediately bowling from it soon disappeared when Root opted to bat first.
It cannot have been a straightforward decision after morning showers left plenty of moisture in the pitch, but the absence of South African seamers Vernon Philander and Chris Morris, both missing with back injuries, may have become a factor.
Assistant coach Paul Farbrace felt that England demonstrated their battling qualities after the attritional first day of the final Test was left evenly poised.
But on a fluctuating day, no one was able to capitalise on their starts, albeit on a pitch that offered assistance to the touring bowlers throughout.