England v South Africa ODIs, 2017.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Underwood's tempting, but it's his fielding. A wrist spinner gives you a bit of an ace. Not that Rashid is much of a fielder.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I can imagine Deadly would be pretty good now though, just as a bowler.

[bigfluffylemon]

I think it's hard to leave Morgan out. He's scored more hundreds than anyone but Tres, at a strike rate better than anyone bar a few other members of the current team, more sixes by far than any other England player, and a very healthy average to boot.

I know the modern game is skewed in favour of batsmen, but in terms of overall career record, I'd say it's only really KP and Root who could make a case for being a better overall ODI batsman for England. Trott has a great average, but his strike rate and conversion rate to 100s both aren't that good. And while Tresco and Gooch were very good, I think at best you could say it's a toss-up between them and Morgan, and too hard to compare between eras.

You also have to look at the impact on games. Morgan wins matches for England - he averages over 50, with 7 hundreds and 18 fifties and an SR of 95 in England wins. I'd argue only Root and Colly have had as much impact as matchwinners, in terms of proportion of their centuries and improvement on their career averages in wins (I didn't realise how much of a matchwinner Colly was as well until i looked up the stats just now. Should have known. And I'm discounting less than 500 runs in England wins as an insufficient sample http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting).

I've seen Morgan close out chases that I thought we were going to get nowhere close.

I'll grant you Gooch, but if Hales career fulfils its early promise I think he could edge out Gooch in a few years' time.

Tresco/Gooch/Root/KP/Morgan/Colly/Buttler/Flintoff/Swann/Anderson/Gough

[rich1uk]

not sure i'd want to be going into games knowing that we had to get at least 10 overs between collingwood, KP and root

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes. Flintoff should be in the top six too. Have to make a tough decision between Morgan and KP I think. Colly stays in as a sixth bowler/fielder as well as a very good ODI bat. KP for me, certainly during the first half of his career before he lost interest in the format. For a couple of years, Finn's form deserves a place I think, alongside Gough and Freddie.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Amla/QDK/Kallis/ABDV/duPlessis/Rhodes/Klusener/Pollock/Steyn/Donald/Tahir

Not passing any quota system though.

[rich1uk]

stokes passed fit but i would still rest him today, we have another game monday and its less than a week til the opener of the CT

give Willey a game and lets see how he is, wickets are just so vital in ODIs now as just restricting the run rate early wont stop a big score if teams have wickets in hand for the last 15-20 overs

[Durhamfootman]

give Willey a game

not Ball?

[Durhamfootman]

as an aside..... Yorks have done a really good job of re-building Plunkett and bringing him up to international standard. A far cry from the player he was when he left Durham

[rich1uk]

give Willey a game

not Ball?

i think Willey gives us something different at the start and taking wickets early i think is so important

[rich1uk]

SA win the toss and bowl first

bit overcast and probably quite humid so might do a bit early

3 changes for SA, woakes out with a minor injury for england and ball plays

[dan08]

Bairstow for Roy anyone? Would be bit harsh but rather have a batsman in form.

[rich1uk]

Bairstow for Roy anyone? Would be bit harsh but rather have a batsman in form.

we've got to be getting close to that even tho i think Roy would be hard done to if it happened

what he did over the last 12 months is as good as anyone around but in a short tournament form has to come into consideration

[alfie]

Bairstow for Roy anyone? Would be bit harsh but rather have a batsman in form.

Don't think that will happen at this stage ; but cannot deny that Roy's run of outs - and general lack of time in the middle - is a concern leading into the CT. He'd really want to score in the 3rd match or the pressure on his place might start to ramp up.

The good thing for England is that Root is in such good form he won't mind being in early...

Slightly surprised to see Ball in instead of Willey . Would have thought today was an ideal chance to see what the latter could do opening up , with Woakes missing ?

[rich1uk]

poor attempt at a catch from Rabada and he helps it over the boundary for a 6 as well