Archer offers England hope but
Indies via the south coast to dig them out of trouble.
The introduction of Jack Leach says more about the failings of the player he replaces. It was commendable of Moeen Ali to shovel congratulations and encouragement Leach’s way. You just wish Mo was a little less nice and a little more bastard. His inability to spear the Australian batsmen on a turning, fourth-day wicket contributed hugely to the outcome at Edgbaston and was pitilessly exposed by the lethal Nathan Lyon, who ran through England on the final day.
Leach’s off spin comes out of his left hand and therefore presents a theoretical threat by turning it away from Smith’s wand. An average of 30-odd against left-arm spin, half Smith’s lofty means against all-comers, at least offers hope. Again Leach has played only five Tests, one of them against Ireland, where his greatest contribution was the 92 he scored with the bat. Leach warmed up for Lord’s playing for his old club Taunton Deane against North Perrot in the West of England League, which when added to his effort as night watchman against the Irish hints at character impervious to the crippling tensions that too readily spread through this England team. “It reminds you that it’s still the same game. Twenty-two yards, a red ball,” he said. Let’s see if his head is still as straight when youknow-who walks to the crease.
Smith exhibits a preternatural flair for picking line and length. More than that he is a freakish competitor, a player whose bat gets wider as the pressure mounts. Jofra Archer, who makes his Test debut for England today,
has played in only 28 first-class matches, taking
131 wickets He got himself out for 144 in the first innings at Edgbaston with a mad thrash at Stuart Broad as he tried to maximise the total with a No 11 bat at the other end. In the second innings Chris Woakes persuaded him to chase a wide one with the new ball. By
then he had across two innings been operational for 149 overs. It was not a shot he looked like playing when the batteries still had a lick in them.
This remains a hugely experimental England team, one that has still to solve fundamental flaws at the top of the order. The move of skipper Joe Root tothreemightyetbegetfurther shuffles of the pack, if not in this Test.
Ultimately, switching the roles of Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler, and promoting the former to four at the expense of Joe Denly, would permit the inclusion of Sam Curran, whose left-arm nip, runs and most of all temperament would have served