It only feels right to question England’s bowling after the batters were bundled out for 131 on a good pitch following a startling collapse of 8-49…
That dismal display with the blade in the first ODI against South Africa left their bowlers on a hiding to nothing and young paceman Sonny Baker took quite the hiding – his figures of 0-76 from seven overs the most expensive for an England player on debut.
The bigger issue around the bowling, though, is perhaps the make-up of the attack, with Baker one of just three seamers in the XI at Headingley, alongside Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse.
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Look at Sonny Baker’s chastening ODI debut as the young England fast bowler conceded 76 runs across a wicketless seven overs
The other options were spin: frontliner Adil Rashid supported by Will Jacks, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell. With South Africa chasing such a low target, we didn’t see the final three bowl a ball in Leeds.
This three-seamer, many-spinner combo was also used in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year – and that tournament turned out dismally for England, if you recall – as well as for the 3-0 victory over West Indies in June, Harry Brook’s first series in charge.
But 2019 World Cup-winning England captain Eoin Morgan, speaking on Sky Sports on Tuesday, feels a seam-bowling all-rounder could slot in somewhere, namechecking Jamie Overton, who is currently part of the wider squad, and Sam Curran, who is not.
Sam Curran has impressed for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred so should he be recalled to England’s ODI team?
Morgan said: “The balance of this side is similarly aligned to the 2015 side I started with but as I evolved as a captain, and with the demands of international cricket, that seam-bowling all-rounder and a fourth pace-bowling option was important to have.
“I understand you want to give someone like Bethell exposure and games under his belt but for me, there are too many [spin options].
“You might be looking towards Overton as a longer-term solution, while I would absolutely have Curran involved in a squad.”
‘Curran continues to get better and better’
Curran, player of the tournament when England won the T20 World Cup in 2022, has not featured for his country in any format since the tour of West Indies late last year.
But he has just played a huge part in Oval Invincibles completing The Hundred’s first threepeat, taking 12 wickets and scoring 238 runs during their 2025 success.
Not only would the left-armer give England a fourth seam-bowling option if he came into the side for, say, Bethell or Jacks but also variety, with the pacers selected in the squad to face South Africa all right-armers – Baker, Archer, Carse, Overton and Saqib Mahmood.
Lancashire southpaw Luke Wood is part of the T20 international group but not the 50-over party.
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Curran took wickets in The Hundred with deliveries bowled at under 50mph
Curran, whose variations extend to bamboozling ‘moon balls’ clocked at under 50mph, has played 93 white-ball games for England in total (58 T20Is, 35 ODIs), scoring 953 runs and bagging 87 wickets.
Morgan added: “He is only 27 years old and continues to get better and better as he goes on. Whether you have him in the team or not is up for debate but the quality is certainly there.
“I don’t think he has been pushed to one side. I just think England are exploring other options. That will have been the messaging from [head coach] Brendon McCullum and Brook.”
Time to stick Tongue out in white-ball cricket?
If England opt against recalling Curran, Morgan thinks they could slot in out-and-out seamer Josh Tongue instead, after a tournament-leading 14-wicket Hundred for Manchester Originals.
Tongue – who has played six Tests but no white-ball internationals yet – bagged three three-fors for Originals, with his scalps including David Warner, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Zak Crawley.
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Josh Tongue dismissed Steve Smith in The Hundred, with the Australian one of the seamer’s 14 wickets in the tournament
England have been aching for a replacement for middle-overs specialist Liam Plunkett since he was moved on after the World Cup win in 2019.
Morgan added: “I liked the look of Tongue in The Hundred. The way he bowled and the wickets he took. It reminded me of a role Plunkett fulfilled while I was captain.
“England bat deep so Carse and Rashid could easily bat up one place to accommodate another seam-bowling option.”
The second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday offers England’s current bowling line-up a chance to rebound. They will just hope to be given a helping hand by the batters this time.
Watch England vs South Africa live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 12.30pm on Thursday (1pm first ball) or stream contract-free with NOW.
