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2nd Test Match

Trent Bridge, Nottingham

No one could have asked for a better start to the Root era.  For England, a Lord's Test win is like gold-dust at the best of times, but it was a first Test triumph over South Africa in North London since 1960, achieved by a margin of 211 runs in the space of just four days and with a first-innings record from the new skipper in the process.  The sense of "cometh the hour, cometh the man" was intoxicating.

But of course, the reality is that the Tests (in every sense of the word) keep on coming, and this weekend Root 66 will be leading England out at Trent Bridge against a South Africa captained once more by the returning Faf du Plessis.  He knows the dodgy batting and dire fielding that contributed to their Lord's defeat has to stay down in London, and he'll push now for a changed side to give England a much sterner challenge in Nottingham.

While the hosts have the luxury naming an unchanged XI, South Africa have (finally) dropped JP Duminy and have been obliged to replace the suspended Kagiso Rabada with Duanne Oliver.  Chris Morris may come in to further augment the bowling attack, though at the top of the order they have little choice but to stick with Heino Kuhn despite a torrid debut.

On a pitch noted for swinging and seaming we may not see any Moeen heroics, but there'll be plenty for Broad and Anderson to get their teeth into, while on the batting front England's top order - Ballance and Jennings particularly - each need to be looking to post a decent score and really stake their claim as automatic picks.  The forecast is cool and cloudy for the full five days, albeit with sunny spells on Monday, and wickets will be there for the taking.

Almost twenty years on from Atherton vs Donald, it's time for England to show the spirit of 1998 again.

Play commences at 1100, 14th July 2017