England XI 1st Test vs South Africa

Seriously though. Could we see another 2 day game? like the one against the wiindies a few years back? when caddick took 4 wickets in an over..

Great effort from England overall in this series...some stand out players, and some awful top order batting which needs sorting

The windies are going to get battered

Our batting problems at 2 and 5 will keep the games closer than they should be but still expect us to win every match against the Windies.

I'd be looking to bring Hales back into the side, not as an opener but at 5. Scoring for fun in the championship currently.

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 8 minutes ago
Our batting problems at 2 and 5 will keep the games closer than they should be but still expect us to win every match against the Windies.

I'd be looking to bring Hales back into the side, not as an opener but at 5. Scoring for fun in the championship currently.
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And or Buttler

I'd still advocate Root opening

I don't, if Root goes early. the rest will fold..his record at 4 is superb.. no need to change.

comment by Liverpoolwhoelse17 (U16825)
posted 5 minutes ago
I don't, if Root goes early. the rest will fold..his record at 4 is superb.. no need to change.
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Well cook needs a better partner...

Hameed hit some formula so could come in for jennings. Root needs to bat 3 as shouldn't have 2 rookies at 2 and 3. Wesley drop to 4. Woakes is fit now so can have a strong middle order stokes 5 bairstow 6 ali, 7 woakes 8.Jones or rashid 9 broad anderson.

Rashid wont play for England for a while..We will and should stick to the 4 seamers and a spinner. spinner being Moeen.

Wonderful stuff from Moeen and Anderson this series. Jimmy with 20 wickets at 14.10 and Moeen with 25 at 15.64.

Root's first series as captain saw him score 461 runs at an average of 57.62. Along with Bairstow, Stokes and Ali who all had a good series with the bat and with aggressive SRs too. If (and it's been a big if for a long time now) we can get the top order right, then we'll have a seriously good side.

There's obviously calls to get Hameed back into the side after a battling 77* from him. I reckon leave him be, bring in Stoneman for the Windies and the Ashes and if he fails then we can go back to Hameed.

Hales is an interesting choice at 5 although we have a pretty devastating lower middle order already so I don't think he solves our problems. Sure if he can score a run a ball 200 then that takes the pressure off us but he did that against a division 2 Derbyshire attack. He could do well in the Ashes on flat decks but I don't think he's a long term solution. Same as the likes of Malan, Roy and Buttler. However, one of those guys may be the best option in the short term with the Ashes in mind.