While Fleming conceded that all-rounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, as well as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, would cause problems for Australia he was scathing in his assessment of Keaton Jennings, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan.

“England needs three decent batsman in their top six,” Fleming, who played 20 tests and 88 one-dayers when Australia were in their pomp in the 1990s, told Melbourne’s RSN radio.

“Watching the South African series, they’re some of the worst batsmen I’ve ever seen play test cricket.”

England beat South Africa 3-1 in the just-completed series but Fleming said the retention for the Ashes of opener Jennings and top order batsman Westley would offer plenty of opportunities for the Australian bowlers.

“(Jennings) scored 127 runs at an average of 15. I used to bat nine in test matches and I would just be happy with that, averaging 15. Just be happy. He’s opening the batting,” Fleming added. “I don’t like his technique, closed grip, he’s going to nick people that can angle the ball across him and bowlers that can actually get the ball to shape back in, that gap between bat and front pad. This is an opening batsman.

“Westley has a similar technique. He is squared up, he has hands that are a long way in front of his body with a closed grip. How does he hit the ball through the off side? He’s going to nick off or get in trouble with the ball that comes in.

“Where are 80 percent of the deliveries going to be to Jennings and Westley? Outside off stump, maybe shaping away. They don’t have a technique to cope with that.” Westley and Malan made their test debuts in the third test against the Proteas, with the former taking over at “first drop” from the injured Gary Ballance, who did not escape Fleming’s brutal analysis.

“How did Gary Ballance play test cricket again after that last series two years ago there?” Fleming said, referring to the batsman’s axing after two tests of the 2015 Ashes.

“Young Malan, 35 runs at an average of eight. There’s real opportunities for Australia to run through the top order.”

Mendis arrived at the crease with his side needing 58 off 39 deliveries with five wickets in hand while chasing 293. He then blasted 44 off just 23 balls as Derbyshire crossed the line with just two balls left in the chase. Openers Ben Slater and Billy Godleman set up the win with an 86-run partnership for the first wicket with the former going on to score 82.

In another match Gary Ballance smashed a 118-ball 152 before an all-round effort from the Yorkshire bowlers helped the visitors rise to the top of the North Group points table at Northampton. Asked to bat first, Yorkshire had a shaky start, that saw Adam Lyth (2), Joe Root (7) and Peter Handscomb (9) fall cheaply. Jonny Bairstow too didn’t convert a good start, leaving Yorkshire on 73 for 4 in the 18th over. Ballance and Matthew Waite (43) added 105 runs off 121 balls, before the late flourish took the team to 300. Ballance, who smashed 19 fours and 3 sixes in his innings, added 121 runs in the last 12 overs with Adil Rashid (41 n.o. off 35 balls). In reply, Northamptonshire were bundled out for 136 in the 29th over. With this defeat, Northamptonshire are out of the tournament. An excellent century by Dane Vilas coupled with an all-round effort by Jordan Clark helped Lancashire register a thumping win over Worcestershire by 152 runs at Old Trafford in Manchester. Even though Lancashire lost half their side in the 32nd over while batting first, Vilas and Clark added 160 off just 113 balls with the former reaching a ton off 83 balls. Clark also remained unbeaten at the other end on 79 as Lancashire went past the 300-run mark.

Chris Liddle’s magnificent spell in the middle overs helped Gloucestershire pull things back and register a narrow 11-run win over Kent at Bristol. At one stage Kent were cruising at 200 for 2 while chasing 276 but Liddle, who had already remove Joe Denly, managed to get rid of Daniel Bell-Drummond for 90. The hosts seized upon that opportunity to strike at regular intervals to completely overturn the momentum. Liddle went on to finish with a five-wicket haul.

Glamorgan wasted a fine start to eventually wilt in their run chase and lose by 16 runs to Middlesex in Radlett.

Rilee Rossouw’s blistering ton helped Hampshire make light work of the 250-run target set by Somerset. Rossouw lit up Taunton with an 113-ball 156 that consisted of 24 fours and two sixes. Even though wickets kept falling at the other end, Rossouw ensured that Hampshire kept pace with the asking rate. Eventually, they won with 76 balls to spare.

Sussex’s decision to bowl first worked wonders when Jerome Taylor stunned Essex with a hat-trick in the fifth over of the game. Varun Chopra, Tom Westley and Adam Wheater fell off consecutive deliveries to leave Sussex in a spot of bother but the seasoned Alastair Cook brought his expertise into play with a masterful ton. Cook’s 109 included 12 fours and Ten Doeschate’s 91-ball 102 ensured that his side finished with 295 for 7 – a total that seemed impossible when Essex were tottering at 19 for 3 in the fifth over.

At the forefront is the situation regarding the limited-overs captain, Eoin Morgan, and the likelihood that he will not tour Bangladesh for the one-day series. Unless Strauss’ powers of negotiation have worked unexpectedly in allaying Morgan’s concerns, there does not appear much chance of changing his mind. Final confirmation is expected Sunday evening.

No Morgan, who turned 30 on Saturday, would mean a new one-day captain would be needed for the three matches in Bangladesh. Jos Buttler, as vice-captain, would head the list – he has led England once before, in a T20 against Pakistan – although, given his workload as wicketkeeper, longer-term Joe Root could be the likelier successor to Morgan when a permanent change is made.

Players have been assured that pulling out of the tour will not be held against them, but Strauss could not guarantee an open door straight back if others take their chance. If the player given a place by Morgan’s absence – Jonny Bairstow or Ben Duckett, for example – enjoys a prolific series against Bangladesh there will be a challenging situation for Strauss and the England selectors, although it seems highly unlikely that Morgan will not be England’s captain at the Champions Trophy. That could be the time it is considered whether he is the man to lead England all the way to the 2019 World Cup.

Beyond the difficulties presented by the Bangladesh tour, Strauss’ remit is also to keep thinking ahead. With that in mind, and the proximity of two major global one-day events in three years, there are likely to be some changes to England’s central contracts system when the new cohort are confirmed at the end of the September.

Since Strauss was appointed last May his mantra has been the importance of treating limited-overs cricket seriously. Led by the coaching staff, Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, plus Morgan’s captaincy, England’s white-ball cricket has often been spectacular in the last 18 months.

That is likely to be reflected in the updated contracts system, which could give greater weighting to white-ball performances while an increased number of deals could be handed out in order to include one-day specialists ahead of the Champions Trophy; the likes of Jason Roy, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett and David Willey could benefit. Morgan holds one of the current 11 central contracts as does Buttler who has been a limited-overs specialist for much of the last 12 months.

Ian Bell is also in the current batch but will lose his barring an unlikely recall for the winter tours. Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes, two of England’s major successes in Test cricket this season, will be in line for significant central contracts having only been on incremental deals for 2015-16.

“I’ve spoken a lot about taking white-ball cricket more seriously and creating a balance between the formats,” Strauss said. “I don’t think our central contracts system as it stands does that and we’ve been working on a creating a system that reflects that better.”

There is also a focus on the coaching staff as well as the players. There will be rotation among coaches this winter with Andy Hurry, the U-19 head coach, Paul Collingwood, Graham Thorpe and Steve Rhodes all having spells with the senior side.

“We understand how demanding touring non-stop is and how important it is for the support staff to be fresh but it’s also a way of introucing people to the environment,” Strauss said. “What we are trying to do with our coaching staff is ensure they are working up and down the programme from U-19s up to the England team.”

In terms of the selection process there will not be changes in the immediate future. There appeared to be tensions earlier this season when a majority of the selectors, led by medical advice, overruled Bayliss’ and Alastair Cook’s desire to have James Anderson available for the first Test against Pakistan after he had suffered a shoulder injury in the lead-up to the series.

Strauss, who has attended most selection meetings this season but does not have a vote, said he remains happy with the panel headed by James Whitaker which includes Mick Newell and Angus Fraser as well as Bayliss. Strauss’ focus continues to be making the vast amount of information collected on players used more effectively in selection.

“In terms of the personalities, I think it’s working well,” Strauss said. “The selection process has worked really well in the time I’ve been there. For me the real focus is the information we give the people making the decisions. Better use of technology, analysis, making it easier to tap into the huge amount of data we have on computers.”

The final names those selectors come up with for Bangladesh and India, which will be announced on Friday, will no doubt provoke much debate.

But although denied a whitewash, England had already done enough to secure a 2-0 series win after dominant victories by an innings and 88 runs and nine wickets over the Lankans at Leeds and Chester-le-Street respectively.

England now hold Test series trophies against every other major international side except Pakistan, who beat Cook’s men 2-1 in a three-match series in the United Arab Emirates in November last year.

However, they will have a chance to put that right when they face Pakistan in a four-Test series starting at Lord’s on July 14.

“They’ve got a very good (pace) attack, backed up with spinners,” Cook said of Pakistan.

“We’re ready for them. We scored a lot of runs against Australia’s attack here last year — I think it’s going to be a brilliant series.”

While Test specialist Cook prepares for Pakistan, wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow will be looking to take his red-ball form into the intervening five one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

Bairstow’s recall into England’s one-day squad was announced just as he was being confirmed as both man-of-the-match at Lord’s and the hosts’ overall man of the Test series too.

His 167 not out in the first innings at Lord’s was his Test-best score and came amidst a series scoring-spree that saw Bairstow total 387 runs at an average of 129, with the Yorkshireman also holding 19 catches behind the stumps.

Together with James Anderson, who took 21 wickets at a stunningly low average of 10.80, Bairstow was the central figure of the series.

Bairstow repeatedly helped England recover from top-order collapses against Sri Lanka and Cook likened his contribution to that of retired former England wicket-keeper Matt Prior.

“He’s very similar to Matt Prior… when he was at his best, we could often be 100 for five and he’d change the momentum,” explained Cook.

Hard work

Prior’s wicket-keeping came under intense scrutiny early in his career, especially as England — be it Alan Knott, Bob Taylor or Jack Russell — have long prided themselves on their glovemen.

Bairstow, himself the son of the late former Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David Bairstow, also found his work in the field being called into question after he floored a couple of seemingly straightforward chances against Sri Lanka.

“Jonny is enjoying both roles,” said Cook.

“He knows how hard he has to work at his keeping — that is a conversation we do have,” added the captain, who has been able to observe Bairstow’s work closely from his position at first slip.

Bairstow, meanwhile, was pleased at maintaining the form he showed in South Africa, where his 150 not out in Cape Town in January gave him a maiden Test century.

“Off the back of South Africa, it was important to start the summer well,” he said.

“I hope this is just the start of something that will be special for a while.”

For Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, the hope is his side, having had time to adjust to English conditions, will raise their game in the white-ball formats.

However, the all-rounder accepted England were a much improved one-day team from the side that Sri Lanka thrashed by nine wickets at last year’s World Cup in Wellington.

“They play positive cricket and you have got to be on your toes and really good to beat England in the ODI series that’s coming up,” Mathews said.

England are still firm favourites to win the Test and take a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series but Sri Lanka finally showed some fight after being forced to follow-on 397 runs behind on the first innings.

Sri Lanka who were dismissed for 101 in their first innings are still 88 runs adrift of avoiding an innings defeat and they have another five wickets in hand to avoid that ignominy in successive Tests. They lost the first inside three days by an innings and 88 runs at Leeds.

A lot will depend on the sixth wicket pair Dinesh Chandimal and Milinda Siriwardana who have so far added 87 off 125 balls to deny England victory inside three days.

Chandimal was unbeaten on 54 scored off 98 balls with five fours and Siriwardana was on 35 not out scored off 57 balls with six fours at the close.

England who took the second new ball towards the end of the day will be looking to wrap up the Lankan innings as quickly as possible tomorrow unless the batsmen put up stern resistance as they have done today.

Leading Sri Lanka’s fight back was opening bat Kaushal Silva who played a workmanlike innings for 60 off 145 balls (6 fours).

Taking the cue from Silva was skipper Angelo Mathews who finally showed pleasing form to score an attractive 80 off 105 balls with nine fours and a six.

Chandimal and Siriwardana ensured the good work done by Silva and Mathews did not go waste by batting out the final session in brilliant sunshine.

Sri Lanka batsmen were more committed to their strokes and most impressive was their running between the wickets that prevented the English bowlers from maintaining a consistent line.

Silva and Mathews held the Lankan innings together after they had lost three wickets for 100 with a partnership of 82 off 130 balls – Sri Lanka’s first half-century stand of the series.

Mathews survived a catch at slip to Joe Root off Jimmy Anderson at nought and then a stumping chance to Jonny Bairstow off Moeen Ali at 36 to play a captain’s knock. He in fact had two reviews against him off the first four balls he faced.

Root signaled immediately that he had not taken the catch cleanly off Mathews’ bat but the umpires still went to the TV umpire to check and replays showed that Root was right.

Silva was out 18 minutes after tea when Steven Finn forced him to top edge a pull to Bairstow.

In comparison to Silva’s obdurate innings, Mathews attacked and took the fight to the England bowlers especially the off breaks of Moeen Ali off whom he scored 46 of his 80 runs that included one six and six fours.

The pitch did not assist the bowlers as much as it had done at Leeds and conditions for batting was not all that difficult provided the batsmen had the patience to pick and choose which balls to play and leave.

The last time England enforced a follow-on in successive Test matches was against Bangladesh in 2010.

England did not waste any time getting the last two Sri Lankan wickets in 17 minutes with Broad and Anderson picking up one apiece to finish with seven wickets between them.

Lahiru Thirimanne was the last man out for 19 after displaying some character in his batting hanging around for 80 balls. Sri Lanka dismissed for 101 in their first innings represented the first time a team had been bowled out for under 120 runs in three consecutive innings in a Test since 1958.

Man of the Series Ben Stokes

The hosts needed little more than an hour on the final day to reduce England, who won the series 2-1, from 52 for three to 101 all out with Rabada returning match figures of 13-144 to confirm his rich potential. The 20-year-old’s figures are second only to Makhaya Ntini’s 13-132 against West Indies in 2005 and Rabada became the youngest South African to take 10 wickets in a test match.

Although the series had already been decided, the victory was a welcome one for South Africa after a run of nine games without success stretching back more than a year had caused them to be knocked off the top of the world rankings by India. “The boys were fired up for this test and we’ll enjoy the celebrations,” captain AB de Villiers said at the presentation ceremony.

“We showed a lot of character and hopefully we can build on this now. There is a bright future for us.”

Chasing an unlikely victory target of 382 on a wearing wicket, England’s hopes of batting out the day were undone by a combination of rash stroke-making and excellent swing bowling.

James Taylor (24) got a snorter from Morne Morkel (3-36) that brushed his glove and was caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock to kickstart a procession of England batsmen.

Joe Root (20), who had already been dropped by De Kock off Dane Piedt, drove wildly at the spinner and was caught at slip by Dean Elgar.

Rabada then got in on the act as he was made to celebrate his record-breaking 10-wicket haul twice — first having Jonny Bairstow (14) caught at slip off a no-ball and then inducing another edge from the very next delivery to De Kock.

Man-of-the-series Ben Stokes (10) was caught at deep midwicket off Morkel as he fell into a short-ball trap, before Rabada cleaned up the tail efficiently for innings figures of 6-32. “It’s been a disappointing five days with the way we have played,” England skipper Alastair Cook said. “We haven’t quite been on it and had to try hang in there. Credit to South Africa, they played well.” The teams will now play a five-match one-day international series starting on Feb. 3, followed by two Twenty20 games. – Agencies

The 25-year-old, playing his first Test since 2012, kept Pakistan at bay with an unbeaten 74 and found an able ally in Jonny Bairstow (37 not out) as the two put on an invaluable 83 for the unbroken fifth-wicket stand at Sharjah Stadium.

That leaves England just 12 behind Pakistan’s first-innings total of 234 with six wickets intact as they hope to gain a decisive lead in their bid to level the three-match series.

Pakistan lead the series 1-0 after winning the second Test in Dubai while the first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.

Taylor kept England in the hunt as he survived a keen tussle between bat and ball, with Pakistan’s spin duo of Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar threatening to take wickets.

But Taylor, playing his first Test since his two debut Tests against South Africa three years ago, batted with resolve, using his feet and sweeping to blunt the spin.

He pushed paceman Wahab Riaz for a single to reach his first half century off 100 balls. He has so far hit six boundaries during his 141-ball fight. When Taylor walked in England were struggling at 97-3 after Alastair Cook (49) and Joe Root — their two key batsmen — had been dismissed. Taylor added 42 for the fourth wicket with Ian Bell (40) to steady the innings as Pakistan attacked through both pace and spin.

For Pakistan, Shah took 2-79 while Babar went wicket-less in his 25 overs and even a second new ball at 181-4 failed to dislodge the Taylor-Bairstow partnership.

– Outstanding –

“I think the bowlers were outstanding to bowl Pakistan out in a day and today was a better day to bat and obviously we wanted to get as close as we can and obviously now it’s to try and get past them,” said Bell, who had praise for Taylor.

“He (Taylor) is a smart and a busy cricketer and what we saw today that he swept and used his feet and was busy and at the back end of the day he had a good partnership with Jonny.”

Bell, who survived a confident caught behind appeal off Babar, was finally stumped off Shah. He hit two boundaries and a six during his three hour, 37 minute innings. Bell and Cook had steadied the innings with a 71-run stand for the second wicket.

England had added three runs to their lunch score of 87-1 when Cook fell to a soft dismissal as he pushed a Shah delivery straight into the hands of short leg fielder Azhar Ali. Cook hit four boundaries during his 119-ball knock.

England had hoped Root would supplement Bell but the fast-rising batsman fell to a loose shot off paceman Rahat Ali and was smartly snapped low to his right by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Resuming at 4-0, England lost Ali in the seventh over of the day when he miscued an aggressive shot off spinner Shoaib Malik and was caught in the slip by Younis Khan for 14.

Cook, who made an epic 263 in the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi, looked in no trouble as he negotiated Pakistan’s pace-cum-spin attack with confidence and appeared set for another half-century before he fell.

Bell smashed Babar for a six early in the innings and ably supported his skipper, adding valuable runs for the second wicket partnership with Cook.