Humiliated South Africa urged to learn lesson

SAM BILLINGS has warned South Africa that it would be ‘pretty stupid’ to disregard England’s ‘Bazball’ style ahead of the Test series that starts at Lord’s on Wednesday. South Africa captain Dean Elgar suggested that England’s thrillseeking style that has ripped up Test cricket’s playbook could leave them ‘with egg on their faces’. But Billings, who skippered England Lions in the tour game at Canterbury this week, countered: ‘We’ve beaten an international team over four days by an innings, scoring

5.74 an over. You’d be pretty stupid to ignore that, if I’m honest. If that’s not a wake-up call, because we’re not even the best XI.

‘I think that’s laid out a pretty strong statement in the way we want the cricket to be played, but also being able to execute it and having the players to do that was really impressive.

‘The fact we got 20 wickets on a pretty flat pitch that had six heavy rollers on... what did we get? 672? Some of the guys are in the Test squad as well, and they’ll take a lot of confidence into next week.’

One of the sub-plots of a secondstring performance that encapsulated the attack-minded principles of the senior England side was the re-emergence of Sussex’s Ollie Robinson, one of the first Test squad.

Since taking 28 wickets in his first five international appearances 12 months ago, Robinson has been conspicuous by his absence at Test level since January due to a catalogue of fitness issues. At Canterbury, the 28-year-old sweated through 25 overs in South Africa’s first innings for a couple of rewards, and with all eyes on how his stamina would hold up second time around, he answered with sustained menace and figures of 11-1-29-3.

‘I’m a big fan of Ollie in terms of his character on the field. He always provides an intensity,’ said Billings. ‘The way he approaches the game is infectious.

‘He backed up his performance in the first innings: he got better. It was proper Test match bowling on the third night and the fourth morning. I think he’s gone from strength to

strength from a physical point of view. The bloke’s class.’

Robinson reports for full England duty today along with Craig Overton, whose six-wicket match was cut short by back stiffness midway through the fourth morning session. His withdrawal was precautionary, but he will be scrutinised by medical staff.

England have displayed loyalty in Test selection since Ben Stokes took on the captaincy, and changes are unlikely at Lord’s, even though Robinson, Overton and spare batter Harry Brook, of Yorkshire, will report in hot form. But with lateseason fatigue to take into account, they could play parts in the series.

England’s Test coach Brendon McCullum addressed the Lions players before the match and reminded them of the blueprint for their cricket.

‘The consistent messaging is run towards the danger, not away from it,’ said Billings. ‘Take the positive option. Keep trying to put pressure on the other team, absorb it when we need to, but then when it’s our turn to really hammer it home, hammer it home.’