England's Easy Run

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Neon is literally a

neon, England have little control over who they play, it's decided by the ICC and their future tests programme.

It just so happened that we beat, (and avoided defeat in the case of SA away), several top sides home and away ON THE WAY TO becoming No1.

The challenge now is to remain there, and play whoever we are scheduled to play whilst doing that.

It's actually difficult to remain number 1 by playing the 'poorer' sides away from home because if you don't beat them convincingly you actually go backwards in the icc calculations!

It's actually difficult to remain number 1 by playing the 'poorer' sides away from home because if you don't beat them convincingly you actually go backwards in the icc calculations!

I've got SA to be slightly ahead of England at the start of next summer. England have tough away series, and if they don't whitewash Pakistan on draw pitches, then they lose points.

SA should beat Australia at home, and otherwise have winnable games.

But England then have a good chance of beating SA at home.... only to go to India and the most difficult series of all, for England. maybe India will be without the last three of their four lauded batsmen by then.

So it will be close for the next few years.

I don't see it as plain sailing for SA to beat the Aussies.

Strong favourites though, no?

Favourites for sure but they are pretty short of test match play recently.