[jjamez]

Jennings will open in the first test, whilst ballance has earned a recall due to his Yorkshire form.

Roland jones is in line to make his debut on home turf, with mark wood earning a recall and liam dawson retaining his place in the squad as second spinner

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Root, ali, anderson, bairstow, ballance, broad, cook, dawson, jennings, roland jones, stokes, wood

[Lord Snooty]

What they taken Ballance back for? They ditched him when he had a drop in form. Never looked like recalling him, so Yorkshire make him captain. Starts season on fire and now they take him back again and Yorkshire need to find another skipper again.

[jjamez]

Tbf snoots I'd have left him until winter or west indies at least, if he kept up the form.

I'd have gone for stoneman to open, with jennings at 3, root 4 ect. Would also have gone for tom Curran or Craig overton over dawson. Dont think we'll need two spinners

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

1st Test Match

Lord's, London

Almost seven months after England's last Test match and five months since the new captain was announced, Joe Root's first series as England skipper gets underway on Thursday morning at Lord's.  It'll be a tough challenge: South Africa have won four of their last five Tests at the home of cricket, and despite losing both white-ball series so far this summer they remain unbeaten in Test series on these shores for nearly twenty years.  But the absence of both AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis means a new captain for the visitors too, as Dean Elgar will skipper the side.

There are few sweeping changes expected for the hosts.  Liam Dawson will be preferred to Toby Roland-Jones in the bowling attack, while Durham's Keaton Jennings will continue as an opener with Alastair Cook following his solid performances in India and the indifferent Championship form of Haseeb Hameed this summer.  Gary Ballance has earned himself a recall at number 4, while further down the order it'll likely be the usual suspects of Bairstow, Stokes, Moeen, Broad and Anderson.  For the visitors, Heino Kuhn will be making his maiden Test appearance at the age of 33 to open the batting, and Theunis de Bruyn will also be in.

The pitch is likely to be fairly green early doors, and the weather forecast is sunny for at least a couple of days, though thunderstorms are anticipated on Wednesday night and the threat of sudden, intense downpours will remain.  England haven't beaten South Africa in a Test at Lord's since 1960, and have won only one of their last six Tests at the ground, so a victory here would be a real feather in the cap for the new skipper.

Play commences at 1100, 6th July 2017

[jjamez]

Apparently ballance is taking number three

[Lord Snooty]

Eng 82-4 at lunch.

[Lord Snooty]

Half century for ROOOOOOOOOOT.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Century for ROOOOOOOOOOT!

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Ha ha! Root reprieved off a stumping with a front-foot no-ball decision, gets his 150 off the next ball with a mile-wide grin! Good lad!

[themaclad]

Spinners bowling no balls is a crime only resolved by execution of said bowler

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Kolpak and nonsensical quota system hammering South African