Captain’s innings from Morgan builds the momentum
Edgbaston? Hopefully it will be full. It will be a scandal if it is not.
If Cardiff is not full for a semi-final with an England team playing like this in a major tournament then it should be stripped of international status.
Despite this team performance I still believe it is time to drop Jason Roy – this was his eighth failure on the trot. His first shot was fine. He stood still and hit a full toss from Starc for four. Great. The next ball was a decentlength delivery, but Roy was beaten by pace and was caught on the crease.
That happens to in-form players, too, early in an innings. But when Roy reviewed the decision without even consulting his partner it showed a sense of desperation. It gave off a real air of confusion and showed a batsman with a scrambled mind. When a player is out of form and making poor decisions it is better to take them out of the firing line for a while.
Roy is a quality player and will come back, but there comes a time when you have to realise it is not working. Stubbornness and consistency in selection can be admirable, but on this occasion, when England have Jonny Bairstow in the wings, what are the consequences of dropping Roy? Could Bairstow do any worse?
You have to think Bairstow will come into the team with a fresh mind and no baggage of recent failures. He made 170 opening in white-ball cricket for Yorkshire this season, and scored runs against South Africa and Ireland. He is quick between the wickets, great on the front and back foot and plays the quicks well.
He has had a couple of weeks not playing in the middle, but that does not seem to bother the modern player. Bairstow plays so much cricket that he should be able to slot straight into the team. He is a brilliant fielder as well, and it is silly for England to keep going with Roy. They have been playing one batsman light. He has been a walking wicket for a couple of games.
Not many players go through their careers without being dropped. Roy is unfortunate that there are other quality players waiting. And when that quality option is Bairstow, you are silly not to pick him for a semi-final.
England have given Roy every opportunity. They backed him in the media. Roy will have received lots of messages of support because he is a good kid. But just because a player is a good team man it does not mean he has to keep his place. A captain has to do what is right for the team.
I do not even think it is a ruthless decision. It would have been a ruthless call to drop him at the start of the tournament. They gave him three games, but he has failed. Now it is a sensible decision to leave him out.
Roy is unlucky Bairstow is in the wings – he should be able to slot straight in the team