England's batting line up struggled against South Africa's bowling attack in the second Test. Carl Recine / Reuters
England's batting line up struggled against South Africa's bowling attack in the second Test. Carl Recine / Reuters
England's top order must fire if they want to win cricket Test series against South Africa
For far too long the middle-order batsmen have had to rescue the team following a fall of wickets early in the innings. It has reached crisis levels now.
In fairness to Root, it is not as if he is not following in the traditions of past captains such as Graham Gooch and Michael Atherton by chipping in with runs and leading by example, even if it is a losing one.
He was the only England batsman to come out of the match at Trent Bridge with any reason to to hold his head up high.
His brisk 78 in the first innings, making batting almost look easy, while his teammates struggled against Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Chris Morris, was another demonstration of just how good a batsman he is.
But cricket is a team game, not an individual sport. Root’s 190 set up the win at Lord’s in the first Test, rescuing his side after they had teetered at 74-4 on the first day, but the first two Tests of this series have again underlined the issues that have hindered England as a force in Test cricket in recent years.
August 2012 saw South Africa usurp England as world No 1 in the Test rankings with victory at Lord’s and since then they have not returned to the top spot.
The main reason for that has been the batting and the lack of runs from the top of the order.
In the first Test against South Africa they were 76-4. At Trent Bridge they were 143-. Those kind of scores have been a regular sight on home soil for England fans over the past five years.
England’s average score for being four wickets down in home Tests since 2013 in their first innings is just 156.
Not a great statistic, considering this is their home turf, and it demonstrates the cracks in the line up.
England’s overall average in their past 30 home Tests in their first innings, the innings that usually defines the momentum of a game, is 366.
Not too bad, but when you look at the fact they are usually around 150 down by the time the fourth wicket goes, on average, it emphasises that much of their runs comes from the middle and lower order.
The trio of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and all-rounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali have been crucial to England getting to creditable scores after the top order has struggled in the past, and it is no coincidence they have gradually shuffled up to where they are now currently batting at 5, 6 and 7.
England’s top order has come to rely heavily on the runs of Root and former captain Alastair Cook.
In the past five years England have only passed 200 with less than four wickets down seven times at home, and you have to go back to the summer of 2014 when they did that without needing big runs from Cook or Root to get there.
The most glaring issues are that England have not found a regular opening partner for Cook at the top of the order since Andrew Strauss retired in the summer of 2012.
Keaton Jennings is the 11th player to be to be tried in the role since November 2012, and another poor match at The Oval will put him under pressure given he is averages only 11 against South Africa in the series so far.
Middle-order runs should be a bonus to an innings, rather than a necessity. It is good England bat deep, but that should not be needed to bail out the innings.
It feels like England are in crisis right now, but it is not a new scenario.
In 2014, there was huge pressure on Cook after they had lost by 95 runs at Lord’s to India.
They were thrashed inside four days by Australia in 2015, and then lost the opening Test against Pakistan last summer.
On all three occasions England bounced back and found an answer, usually inspired by the bowlers, but to win a home series against South Africa for the first time since 1998 will be a tall order considering the Proteas now have their tails up after their dominance in Nottingham.
Sorting out the top order and getting more runs on the board is the crucial element. Whether it is poor technique or shot selection, England are consistently under pressure early in the innings.
Both openers are out of form, and Bairstow has yet to fire at No 5 in the series.
Tom Westley will make his debut at No 3 on Thursday as replacement for the injured Gary Ballance and England desperately need him to make a quick step up to the world of Test cricket.
South Africa have the momentum, and only more runs from the top order, and not having to rely on Root to score the bulk of their runs, will ensure they end this series victorious.
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
