England names Patterson-White for first test tour of South Africa
Spinner joins veteran captain Joe Root and recalled batter Jacob Bethell in squad announced Monday for the three-match series.
By Renata Mehta ·
England selected left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White for his first test match on Monday, naming him for a three-test series in South Africa.
The 28-year-old took 42 wickets for Nottinghamshire in the top tier of the county championship this season at an average of 25.11.
He is the highest-wicket-taker among spinners in the competition. Patterson-White will bow alongside swing specialist Ollie Robinson and pacers Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer, and Gus Atkinson.
Veteran batter Joe Root captains the squad. Root seeks his 42nd test century and aims to approach 15,000 career runs.
Batter Jacob Bethell returns to the team following a knee injury. The 23-year-old scored a century in the fifth Ashes test last winter.
The announcement marks the first series for head coach Stephen Fleming. Fleming replaces Brendan McCullum, who was dismissed after a loss in the Ashes in Australia.
Marcus North, the England men’s selector, said the team is balanced and ready to face the ICC test world champions.
South Africa recently beat Australia 2-1 to reclaim the top spot in the ICC test rankings.
Shoaib Bashir was passed over for the test squad in favor of Patterson-White. Bashir joins the England Lions red-ball squad.
Spin-bowling allrounder Rehan Ahmed moves to the Lions white-ball squad. Pacer Brydon Carse and batter Ollie Pope are included in both Lions squads.
Carse was dropped from the test side in August after a late-night incident. Pope lost his No. 3 batting spot during the Ashes.
The first test begins on Dec. 17 at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The second test starts on Dec. 26 at Centurion Park in Centurion. The third test opens on Jan. 3 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
