Advertisement

England vs South Africa: Befuddled batsmen need Champions Trophy focus

Getty Images
Getty Images

England are favourites for the Champions Trophy partly because they are expected to perform well on familiar territory. It is a shame nobody told their batsmen.

If any batsmen should have prospered at Lord’s this/on Monday morning, it was England’s, whose players were brought up in these conditions.

But under grey skies, and with the ball moving through the air and off the seam, they were befuddled.

After five overs, they were 20 for six. No team in one-day international cricket had ever lost so many wickets in so few deliveries. Not surprisingly, England did not recover.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

England struggled to 153 and were bowled out in 31.1 overs. Despite a mid-innings wobble, in which they lost three wickets for six in three overs, South Africa cruised to a seven-wicket victory in just 28.5 overs. England took the series 2-1 thanks to their wins at Headingley and Southampton, but their batting display was a cause for concern.

Yes, it was a good toss for South Africa captain AB De Villiers to win. Yes, the tourists’ opening pair, Kagiso Rabada (four for 39) and Wayne Parnell (three for 43), bowled beautifully. And yes, England rested Ben Stokes (knee), Chris Woakes (thigh) and Moeen Ali (groin). Nevertheless, they should still have provided much better resistance than they did during those opening exchanges.

While Jason Roy – who remains worryingly short of form – Joe Root and Eoin Morgan were undone by fine deliveries, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid had only themselves to blame.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

England will write off this batting display as a blip. Better it happens now than on Thursday, when England open their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh at The Kia Oval. Yet if they repeat it when the tournament starts, it may see them eliminated. That should certainly focus their minds.

From 20 for six, England recovered to 153 all out, in 31 overs. It was still a pitiful effort, but they had Jonny Bairstow to thank for making it respectable.

Whatever Bairstow does – and he performs brilliantly under pressure – it seems he will never be able to convince Morgan and coach Trevor Bayliss he is worth a place in England’s strongest XI in the 50-over game. There can be few better ‘substitutes’ in international sport.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Unlike his team-mates, Bairstow played straight. Unlike his team-mates, he was prepared to leave the ball. The Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman showed patience and judgement when Rabada and Parnell were rampaging, expanding his range only when Morne Morkel – who was below par – came into the attack from the Pavilion End.

David Willey (26) and debutant Toby Roland-Jones (37 not out) helped Bairstow build a total, but after the start they made, England were – to use one of Morgan’s favourite expressions – behind the eight ball.

For the third time in the series, De Villiers won the toss and chose to field – only on this occasion, it paid off. Rabada had Roy caught at first slip from the fifth ball of the match, and the pattern was set.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Root was late to read Parnell’s inswinger and was leg-before for two. Morgan did not commit either to playing at the ball or leaving it, and edged Parnell behind.

Good bowling then produced dreadful batting. Hales was caught at first slip after driving foolishly at a wide delivery from Rabada. Buttler played a similar stroke to the same bowler, Faf Du Plessis taking a brilliant catch at second slip. One ball later, Rashid was dismissed in identical fashion, leaving Rabada on a hat-trick and England 20 for six.

Bairstow put on 62 with Willey and 52 with Roland-Jones, and reached his fifty from 63 deliveries. Then, in an attempt to push the score on, he tried to hit left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj into the block of flats behind the pavilion.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

He missed, Quinton De Kock removed the bails and Bairstow was gone for 51. Maharaj also picked up the wickets of Jake Ball and Finn as South Africa wrapped up the England innings with 19 overs to spare.

Ball was the pick of England bowlers as he removed De Kock (34) and Du Plessis (5) in quick succession. Earlier, Roland-Jones claimed his first international wicket when Hashim Amla dragged an attempted pull shot on to his stumps and was out for 55. JP Duminy finished the match with a sweet cover drive for four off Willey.