Defiant Cook stands firm for England
But the end is surely near for Jennings
THE Test future of Keaton Jennings is hanging by a thread after the Durham opener’s latest failure on the opening day of the third Test against South Africa.
Jennings was dismissed for a nine-ball duck by Vernon Philander four overs into the morning session at The Oval.
England had hoped to start well following their 340-run hammering at Trent Bridge last week that left this four-match series level at 1-1. But Jennings’ injudicious stroke outside off stump exposed debutant Tom Westley – one of three England newcomers at The Oval – to the new ball. Westley at least saw that off during an assured first international display that was cut short four balls after lunch when he edged Chris Morris to slip. And England were thankful to Cook, their former captain who was unbeaten on 82 when a fourth rain interruption of the day forced the players off shortly after 6pm with the hosts on 171-4. It’s hardly the dominant position current captain Joe Root would have hoped for when he opted to bat having won the toss.
The hosts, though, do still have a chance of winning this match – even if that’s no thanks to Jennings.
The 25-yearold may have started his Test career with a debut century against India in Mumbai last December.
However, the Durham batsman, Cook’s 11th opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss five years ago, now has just 46 runs in five innings during this series at an average of 8.8.
He now surely has just one
more chance in this match to save his Test career – with his former Durham colleague Mark Stoneman, now at Surrey, waiting in the wings to come in for next week’s final Test at Old Trafford.
The fact that Jennings looks so out of his depth will alarm England, who know there is an urgency for them to make a call given that there are just four more Tests left after this before the start of next winter’s Ashes series in Australia.
Ex-South Africa captain Graeme Smith was in no doubt Jennings should be dropped, when he said: “He looked out of his depth technically.”
Former England star Geoffrey Boycott also weighed in, saying: “Jennings was exposed again, his technique is really poor. He is not really leaving it and not really playing it.You need to be positive in defence as well as attack. He got a hundred in India but conditions there do not expose you to the quicks.”