Trevor Bayliss may have publicly backed Alex Hales to become Alastair Cook’s latest opening partner for the Test series against South Africa but any more displays like this may prompt England’s Australian coach into a rethink.
Bayliss stated last Saturday that Hales deserves his chance after patiently waiting while serving his apprenticeship at the top of the order in international limited-overs cricket. However, his second failure in this non-first-class match leaves England no closer to resolving their biggest selection headache of the past three years.
Hales’ first-innings display, scoring eight from 10 balls, could perhaps be mitigated by nerves. Yet his second innings was far, far worse. After taking 19 deliveries to get off the mark, there were just four more scoring shots in the entire innings, with his only four coming after a misfield at third man. In the end he managed only eight from 42 balls after a minute under an hour at the crease.
Hales, so the logic goes, is a good foil for Cook because he should be able to help England get off to a fast start while the captain hunkers down at the other end. Yet such was the reticence shown by his partner that Cook was made to look like Chris Gayle, David Warner and AB de Villiers rolled into one. By the time Hales departed, bowled for the second time in the match by Junior Dala, Cook had scored 33 from 43 balls.
At the close of play Dala was happy to twist the knife ready for the Test series. “He hasn’t played a Test yet so I knew he was under pressure,” he said of Hales. “I just came in and went hard at him, trying to expose the fact he is keen to score runs. It looks like he is trying to open up the off side every time he faces the ball. I just tried to keep it simple, tuck him up and he struggles on the leg side.”
The only other man in the squad who could open if Bayliss does indeed have a rethink is Nick Compton, who scored 58 on day one but could manage only 15 this time before he was caught at mid-off, attacking the spinner Johannes Disenko.
Cook had earlier fallen for 37, trapped lbw by Andile Phehlukwayo, but it was an improvement on his first-innings score of two. There was also an appearance for Gary Ballance before the close, the recalled batsman reaching stumps alongside Joe Root unbeaten on six as England ended the day with a lead of 381. The day had started with England declaring on their overnight 470 for seven – the voluntary departures of century-makers James Taylor and Ben Stokes revised to “retired out” once the first innings had concluded.
So it was over to England’s bowlers to show what they could do in their first competitive runout of the tour. On the surface it was a job well done, with the South Africa Invitational XI dismissed for 188 in 57.1 overs. That, though, did not quite tell the whole story.
Stuart Broad showed just how dangerous he can be in these conditions with the standout bowling performance of the day looking a class above the rest of the attack as he took three for 18 in 6.1 overs. James Anderson, part of a 13-man team for this match, spent the entire morning session off the field and bowled just four overs in the afternoon – the result of England’s careful management of his workload.
Broad started and finished things for England here, dismissing the home captain, Aiden Markram, with the fourth ball of the day and breaking a frustrating last‑wicket stand of 51 between Thandolwethu Mnyaka and Diseko to wrap up the innings 14 minutes beyond the scheduled tea break.
With Anderson sitting out the morning session, the new ball was initially taken by Broad and Mark Footitt.
The left-arm seamer took one for 28 in a scratchy opening six-over spell, Zubayr Hamza caught low by the wicketkeeper, Jonny Bairstow, to give Footitt his first senior England wicket. The 30-year-old picked up a second after lunch, albeit a questionable lbw decision that saw the back of Qaasim Adams.
Yet despite the variety he offers Footitt’s final analysis of two for 51 from 12 overs was hardly a compelling case for his inclusion ahead of Chris Woakes. The Warwickshire seamer bowled with good control and picked up the wicket of Simon Khomari as he took one for 35 from his 10 overs.
Stokes was also impressive, taking two wickets from eight overs – the first he has bowled in a competitive match since injuring his shoulder last month.
