SA vs ENG | Dom Bess, Matt Parkinson in line for Cape Town selection amid struggling Jack Leach
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England spinning all-rounder Dom Bess and uncapped leggie Matt Parkinson can be considered as potential starters in the second Test at Cape Town due to Jack Leach's prolonged illness. England tried an all-pace attack in the first test which fell flat on its ace as they lost the game by 107 runs.
Jack Leach has yet not recovered completely from the gastroenteritis attack that he suffered during the second Test versus New Zealand and is likely to miss out on the second Test at Cape Town. This opens up a potential berth in the playing eleven for one of either off-spinning all-rounder Dom Bess or uncapped leg-spinner Matt Parkinson.
Bess was originally just a cover for Leach but has now been confirmed to travel with the team for the second Test. If England wants to go in with three pacers and a spinner, it will be interesting to see who among Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and James Anderson sits out for the second Test. The records of Bess or Parkinson do not stand out off late to clearly suggest who has his nose ahead for the berth of a spinner in the playing eleven.
"It's been really a tough month or so for Jack Leach, having gone down in New Zealand as well," Root said.
Bess recently worked in a training camp in Mumbai under the monitoring of Rangana Herath and it is believed that he has returned with more zip to his bowling. Parkinson on the other had too has had a modest start to his practise games, picking only 2 wickets in the three games that he has played. He looks more suited to white-ball cricket and Bess is more of a batsman who can bowl off-spin. This exactly shows the dearth in England's spin bowling department as there are two players who could potentially not even be picked for their respective county sides but could go on and play for England in the second Test.
"We're trying to manage that as best we can. We've got some very able back-up in Dom Bess and we've got Matt Parkinson as well as another option. We'll turn up at Cape Town, look at the surface and make our decision." Root concluded.
