England’s frustrating inconsistency is becoming a major concern for their cricket fans. After a resounding 211-run thrashing of South Africa in the first Test of the current series at Lord’s, they collapsed like a pack of cards on Monday at Trent Bridge in the second to hand over the momentum to the visitors.
The 340-run rout was least expected of a team that has traditionally done well in home conditions, with their seam and swing bowlers usually getting the better of their rivals. But as it turned out it was the South African attack that excelled with the pace bowlers sharing seven second innings wickets, while the remaining three were accounted for by spinner Keshav Maharaj.
England, set a mammoth 474 runs for victory, collapsed to 133 all out 40 minutes before tea on the fourth day. Vernon Philander, who took three wickets and also posted scores of 54 and 42, was declared the man of the match, while former captain Alastair Cook top scored for the hosts with 42.
It was also England’s sixth defeat in their last eight Tests and understandably evoked scathing criticism from several former England captains.
Michael Vaughan said the way Bayliss’s men batted betrayed a “lack of respect” for the demands of the five-day game.
England are now 1-1 with two to play ahead of next week’s third Test at The Oval, with a revitalised South Africa keen to maintain an impressive away record that has seen them lose just one of their previous 19 series on foreign soil.
It leaves Bayliss and England with a mountain to climb as they know they must find a way to be consistent if they are to avoid a rollercoaster defence of the Ashes ‘Down Under’ later this year.
 “We’ve had a fairly honest discussion (in the changing room). It is a concern,” said Bayliss.
“We’ll go away over the next few days but when we get together again I’m sure we’ll sit down and have another discussion about it.”
Keaton Jennings, Alastair Cook’s 11th opening partner at the top of the England order since former captain Andrew Strauss retired, has struggled against his native South Africa so far this series.
 In-form Surrey batsman Mark Stoneman could be given a debut on his Oval home ground in the next Test, with Jennings dropping down to three and Gary Ballance, if fit following a finger injury, moving from three to five.
 With South Africa having deployed four quicks and just the one spinner, Maharaj, to good effect at Trent Bridge, England may follow a similar path by omitting left-armer Liam Dawson and retaining off-spinner Moeen Ali.
Former captain Nasser Hussain is of the opinion has said England selection should be about more than looking at county figures, citing Ballance’s struggles since his latest Test recall as a case in point.
But Bayliss has little else to go on, apart from the opinions of his fellow selectors regarding Stoneman – who as with several players prior to their England debuts during his time in charge – he has yet to see play.
But it is not just about team selection. One just gets the feeling that England just cave in to pressure far too easily. They need to work on this aspect of the game too.
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