5 talking points ahead of England’s opening Test in South Africa

England may opt for an all-seam attack.

Published Dec 24, 2019

England are limbering up for the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, one of the highlights of the festive sporting calendar. Here, PA looks at some of the key issues.

Stokes news casts a shadow

After a sensational 2019 on the field, English cricket’s man of the moment has been dealt a cruel blow that puts sport in its rightful perspective. With his father Ged in a critical condition at a Johannesburg hospital, his participation is in real doubt. The situation is sure to affect the camp on an emotional level but there is also a cricketing aspect, given nobody in the squad can match both bat number five and bowl important overs. Jonny Bairstow could be recalled but only as a specialist batsman.

Spin on the margins

Jack Leach may be left out in Centurion (Mike Egerton/PA)

Slow starters

Silverwood wants to break England's habit of slow starts — Silverwood wants to break England’s habit of slow starts (Mike Egerton/PA)

England’s walking wounded

The tourists’ preparations were thrown into disarray by an illness bug that swept the camp, with key pace pair Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad both badly affected, as well as Leach. Archer and Broad are inked into England’s first-choice XI but the fact they have not bowled a single competitive ball between them raises doubts. Can England trust them both to get through a five-day contest in potentially sapping heat? With James Anderson also back after five months out injured, the conditioning of the attack is a problem.

Proteas greats back in the fold

Graeme Smith (left) and Jacques Kallis (right) have both joined the South Africa set-up (Gareth Copley/PA)