There have been plenty of controversial England tours in the past, but the one under way in South Africa finds its place among them.
Jon Lewis’ XI managed their first hurdle, just scraping home in a T20 by four wickets with four balls left. This was the team he chose:
Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (captain), Amy Jones (w-k), Freya Kemp, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Lauren Bell.
You don’t need to go hunting in the nearest jungle to find critics questioning the choices.
Even the captain’s position is queried. It will be revealing to see whether any changes are made after only one T20 thrash. But it has to be admitted that Lauren Bell didn’t do her cause much good. Had she been picked out in advance as the go-to death bowler? In the event she went for 18 in seven deliveries, enough to turn an eminently gettable target into a tricky one (143).
In the T20 format it’s always an asset to point to any wicket you have taken. Freya Kemp, the only other quickie on show, could (1-15). But Bell’s 4-0-46-0 stands out in stark contrast. We’ll soon discover whether Lewis believes in immediate reactions or not. Sophia Dunkley is the other player who was anxious to prove herself. Lewis placed her at three, to give her more space and time to play her shots, but the outcome, four off nine, doesn’t convince.
If those two are not to find favour, who replaces them? It’s the old conundrum: keep a side together to build a common cause, or hunt for the players in form? We’ll know tomorrow afternoon when the two nations meet again at Benoni.
Ah, Benoni! The town where in 1948 Denis Compton hit 300 in a still record time of 181 minutes. Match reports indicate that some of his methods presaged shots now familiar in short-form cricket. In those days they were daring in the extreme. What a player!
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It was Bess Heath’s misfortune to suffer a broken thumb right at the start of the tour. Now two players have been added to the throng, Seren Smale, as a direct replacement for Heath, and Ryana Macdonald-Gay, who is added to the test squad.
The right choice of back-up for Amy Jones has been debatable for quite some while. I was not convinced that Heath was the answer. But it’s an unenviable position, trying to supplant two outstanding practitioners like Jones and Sarah Taylor before her.
But Smale, not to be confused with her Welsh namesake, Sophia Smale, the left-arm slow, made a good impression on the Under 19 tour to South Africa, and since then has shown strong form with the bat. So good luck to her.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s call-up is more of a surprise, since the ECB don’t mention an injury to occasion it. She was part of the English squad that toured Ireland earlier in the year, and was a leading candidate for further advancement.
England’s quicks have a few more chances to advance their cause before the test, but RMG’s arrival will concentrate their minds a treat.
