“Getting better never stops”
CricViz analyst Freddie Wilde runs his eye over the major talking points around England’s T20I team following their series win over South Africa.
Getting better never stops
England are clearly a good T20I team and are likely to be among the favourites for the World Cup later this year in Australia. However, T20 is a capricious format and in the lead-up to the tournament the England management should leave no option unexplored in the search for the additional edge that could help them lift the trophy later this year. On the surface, England’s 2-1 series victory over South Africa in three hard-fought matches was a success for England, and there were plenty of positives for Chris Silverwood’s team. That said, getting better never stops and it is critical that England continue to look for areas to improve. Lessons can be learned, even from the most comprehensive of victories – and this series win, with both victories coming in the last over, was far from that.
However, moving forward England may feel the need to consider a specialist new-ball quick to provide early breakthroughs. In Sam Curran and the discarded David Willey England do have two powerplay specialists, renowned for their ability to swing the ball early on, and in Willey’s case he is a proven wicket-taker in the phase. One of these two left-armers could potentially replace one of the frontline quicks – Wood, Jordan, or Curran in the team, or given their batting ability, could conceivably slot in at number seven. Taking early wickets is one of the most significant drivers of success in T20 cricket and England must not neglect this phase, nor rely on Archer’s return to improve their fortunes.
