The Lord’s Test

His voice was hoarse. His nose was running. And he was wearing a jumper in temperatures touching 30 degrees. But none of this stopped Joe Root from securing national hero status on day one.

It wasn’t Root’s best innings for England. He was understandably a bit loose early on, and should have been caught three times. He was also stumped off a no-ball, and missed quite a few singles because he looked too energy sapped to run hard at times.

However, in terms of significance this was a huge innings by Root. He’s made his mark as captain and (at least in part) answered one of the most important questions facing English cricket: would the captaincy have a negative effect on our best player’s ability to score runs?

Judging by day one this won’t be a problem.

Getting runs from the top order, however, continues to be a huge problem. Keaton Jennings was unluckily adjudged lbw to a ball that pitched outside leg and was missing the stumps. However, Gary Ballance at the non-striker’s end looked like he wanted to save the reviews for himself. And so it proved …

Half an hour later Ballance was caught plum in front lbw – predictably stuck on the crease after a short ball the previous delivery had forced him back – and yet this time DRS was inexplicably summoned. The replay showed that the ball was knocking all three stumps out of the ground. Oh Gary.

To be fair it wasn’t all Ballance’s fault though. Joe Root (who rumour has it was the driving force behind Gary’s recall) also seemed eager to review it. There’s nothing like a desperate and emotional review is there. It was Shane Watson-esque.

At this point South Africa’s well-oiled pace machine were well on top. When Bairstow was lbw to a ball barely clipping the stumps just before lunch, England were in the mire at 76-4. Who’d’ve thunk that England would reach 357-5 at stumps. It’s a funny old game, Saint.

Although Root obviously led the fightback, and played a few gorgeous shots, the arrival of the world’s most expensive ginger, Ben Stokes, also turned the tide.

England’s vice-captain has a real swagger and presence at the crease these days, and he seemed to give South Africa’s bowlers butterflies. Or at least that’s one explanation for their sudden metamorphosis into a ragged rabble after lunch.

Although Stokes and Moeen kept their skipper company with brilliant effectiveness, the Cricket Boks really didn’t help themselves.

Morne was more bad Morkel than good Morkel, Rabada couldn’t live up to the hype and looked strangely out of rhythm, and Philander was brilliant with the new ball but ineffective thereafter – which is basically the story of his career. Maharaj also looked ineffective on a day one pitch that offered spinners very little.

Meanwhile, I thought that de Bruyn looked like a Sunday second XI club bowler. He’s possibly the least threatening test seamer I’ve seen for years. He ambled in like a net bowler and looked about as threatening as Jeremy Corbyn stroking a Maine Coon kitten. My six year old could’ve played him with the proverbial stick of rhubarb.

Anyway, back to the match situation. England are definitely in pole position now. Although the Lord’s pitch is starting to look ominously flat, South Africa are in deep poop without du Plessis and de Villiers. Unless they take a plethora of wickets early on day two, and Elgar, Amla and de Kock make big runs, England should go 1-0 up from here.

James Morgan

13 comments

  • A good day for England in terms of the match, disappointing in terms of the team development as it was the usual suspects doing the heavy lifting. Even if Bairstow had made runs his move to five could have been hailed as a success, as it is in continues to be England’s number 7 who bails them out.

    The Groundsmen at Lords feels the pitch will spin later on so Liam Dawson may get to show what he can offer, would be a shame if conditions means he doesn’t bowl much because then we don’t learn anything.

    Another note, I am often very critical of the Lords pitch as I find it infuriating the MCC sit there and moan about global surfaces and theirs is a dead, slow lifeless road most of the time but this strip seems to have a bit about it so I am hopeful

    • It’s usually pretty flat at Lord’s on days 2 & 3. Today should tell us a lot.

  • They’ve now created themselves a problem with Ballance. Having picked him, they really have to stick with him for at least 3 tests – any bets on how many of those 6 innings will be carbon copies of yesterday’s?

    • You’re right Hamish. Yesterday’s dismissal was very predictable. Picking Ballance has given the team a real headache. Obviously we don’t want any England player to fail, but I can’t see a top 3 of Cook, Jennings and Ballance being particularly successful in the long run. There’s no contrast. Four left handers who bat at a similar pace. Ideally we need a right handed No.3. who plays in a fairly positive fashion.

      • Balance can play pretty positively.
        I’m far from convinced he’ll make it as a test batsman, but it’s pretty obvious that the pace of his batting is inhibited by being in trial for his place.
        His test fate is likely to be determined by whether he can shake of the mental shackles.

  • Being a Warwickshire man I’m delighted that our county still has the services of messrs Bell and Trott, but given the absence of obvious choices for the No 3 position, I would have thought the test record of this pair, and their continued form in the county game, would at least put them in the frame. I have not heard any mention of either. They are not geriatrics and could still do a job for a while, until someone makes a consistent case for inclusion as more than just another promising youngster. Cook, Bell, Trott, inspires more confidence than the lefty trio we have at the top presently, making life easy for right arm over the wicket bowlers to keep that line towards the slips, which often seems their undoing.

    • You saw Trott in Australia and then his come back right ??

      The guys a England legend of the 2010-12 era but he’s saldy past it.

  • When will England realize Moeen Ali’s true worth? He can be a fairly decent batsman if utilized properly rather than a below par spinner who can bat.

    • Lol… feather bed so he isn’t found out by pace… he will be made to look a fool like half the 2013 squad

    • Coming in at seven is properly utilising his batting strengths. He is a decent batsman, and modern test cricket requires a team which can bat all the way down the order.

      Am I wrong in thinking his bowling is improving ?
      In this sense, like Rashid (and many other spinners) he’s a late developer.

  • First test match of the summer.. barely any posts or comments and as I’ve had cricket every day since last Saturday barely anyone is talking about it (including the white ball stuff previously )..

    Very little interest it seems and the game isn’t inspiring any either

  • Whatever one thinks of the quality of SA’s play, it is the first time since 1980 that an England player has taken ten wickets and scored a half century in a test. And it’s not as though we haven’t played poorish opposition on a deteriorating pitch a few times in the last 37 years….

    Moeen Ali has had a pretty good match.

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