Alex Hales or Nick Compton,Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid and who will fill the No3 spot in the four-Test series?Moeen Ali’s move to the top of the order was dubbed “experimental” but it was unlikely to supply a solution to England’s problem. It was like curling up in your bathtub during an earthquake: far from safe but at least it might afford you a moment of calm to consider that everything will be OK. So, it looks like Alex Hales will finally initiate his Test career against Dale Steyn and friends. whether so, or he would be Alastair Cook’s eighth opening partner since the current director of cricket Andrew Strauss retired from playing. Unless he commits treason,Hales should be given a pleasant long go. But what of Strauss’ first replacement, Nick Compton? Despite a modest county season by his standards – over a thousand runs but just two centuries and an average below 40 he had a assembly with the England coach Trevor Bayliss in September to reiterate his desire to return to Test cricket. He will be in South Africa this winter “to be ready, and ” he said in a tweet,adding: you never know!” It is a trip he takes regularly at this time of year, often to work with the former South Africa Test batsman Gary Kirsten, or who has been recruited by the ECB as a consultant for the England Lions. Should we read much into that?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com