England will be a tougher Test opponent than Australia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
According to Sowetan, England will field a more balanced and younger side than Australia in the December-January Test series against South Africa. New coach Stephen Fleming must choose between Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell for the top three.
According to South African newspaper Sowetan, the England cricket team will be a tougher opponent than Australia, recently beaten by South Africa, in the December-January Test series. The clearest difference is age: four of the best English batters selected on Monday are 27 or younger, whereas Australia had only one batter under 30, Cameron Green.
New England coach Stephen Fleming must fit a bloc of quality batters into a starting eleven. The main question concerns the opening trio: Jordan Cox, who has scored three half-centuries against Pakistan, or Jacob Bethell, whose century in the last Ashes Test in Sydney was one of the few highlights of the Australian tour. Captain Joe Root, who will bat at number four, has to decide.
The first two Tests will be played at the high-altitude Highveld grounds, the Wanderers and then Centurion, where pace and bounce will favour England’s bowlers. Five of the selected batters have already played in the SA20, South Africa’s Twenty20 league.
