Hameed fails again to leave Test opener’s role up for grabs
Haseeb Hameed failed to take his chance to prove he should keep hold of his Test place when he was out for a duck for the England Lions against South Africa A.
His main rival to be Alastair Cook’s opening partner for the first Test, Surrey’s Mark Stoneman, fared better with a half-century, but missed his chance to make the big innings that would have put major pressure on Hameed’s place.
Hameed has more chances. The second innings in Canterbury and then the round of pink-ball floodlit County Championship games next week, assuming he is not picked for the Lions match against the full South Africa side, will determine his fate. The question the selectors have to answer is whether they pick a young batsman working on a technical aspect of his game against seamers to play against South Africa’s bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, or go for the man in form in county cricket, Stoneman.
Hameed left India after three Tests having made a big impression on England. Trevor Bayliss, the coach, compared his obsession for batting with Kumar Sangakarra, and his bravery in playing with a broken finger in the second innings of the third Test earnt the respect of older team-mates.
But while England have been playing white-ball cricket this summer, Hameed’s runs have dried up. He has not made a fifty in first-class cricket and lasted only 11 balls against South Africa A before edging a wide ball to slip to record his fourth duck of the season.
Stoneman hit nine fours in his 58, and Keaton Jennings scored 57 as he showed a touch of form before the squad for the first Test is announced next week.
Jennings is expected to bat at three, with Stoneman and Hameed the candidates to partner Cook. Other options for England would include Jennings opening with Cook, as he did for the final two Tests against India, picking Gary Ballance at three and leaving Moeen Ali at five. Joe Root is expected to move back to four.
The Lions teetered on 144 for four and relied on an unbeaten 77 from highly-rated wicketkeeperbatsman Ben Foakes to end the first day of four on a positive note at 302 for seven.
Meanwhile, England women thrashed New Zealand by seven wickets with 136 balls remaining in their World Cup warm-up match at Derby, a confidence-boosting win before their tournament opener against India at the same venue on Saturday. New Zealand were skittled for 130 with 11 of their 50 overs remaining, and Tammy Beaumont was unbeaten on 51 by the time England completed victory.