Buttler or Bairstow? Archer or Bess? Our writers pick their England XIs for the fourth Test in South Africa

THOMAS BLOW, NICK HOWSON, OWEN RILEY, HUW TURBERVILL AND XAVIER VOIGT-HILL select the team they believe can wrap-up the series in Johannesburg

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THOMAS BLOW

Jos Buttler’s time in England’s Test side needs to come to an end. Just one century in 40 Tests is not good enough with the talent England have in that department.

I’d like to see Ben Foakes brought into the side for the Sri Lanka series, but in the interim, Jonny Bairstow should be given another go with the gloves. He was England’s No.1 red-ball ‘keeper before Ed Smith’s experiment began in 2018 and it’s obvious he isn’t a top-order Test batsman. England have nothing to lose by selecting him for this Test.

Mark Wood and Jofra Archer should both play ahead of Sam Curran if fit. Although if Curran continues to do well as a Test cricketer, the temptation to pick both Wood and Archer is obvious.

My XI: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Bairstow (w), Bess, Archer, Wood, Broad

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NICK HOWSON

England are unlikely to get the opportunity to field both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in the same Test team very often. But with the moons aligned they must side with pace on a pitch which will only accentuate the velocity they can naturally generate. Joe Root might have to use them both in short and sharp spells, but in tandem, South Africa won't know which way to look.

Though the selection has backfired previously, not least at Centurion, this feels like the right surface to field five seamers. Given how Joe Root was able to combine control and potency in Port Elizabeth, he and Joe Denly can shoulder the responsibility in the spin department.

It might seem harsh on Dom Bess but fielding him at the Bull Ring would be almost cruel. I still feel his variations need work before sticking him on that kind of deck.

Despite Michael Vaughan's protestations and the scrutiny on Jos Buttler - though it is time his batting returns improved if he wants to hold off Ben Foakes - I would like to see the top seven unchanged. Don't mess with Ollie Pope's position when he is still finding his feet in international cricket.

MY XI: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Archer, Wood, Broad

🔥 @StuartBroad8 enjoys bowling at the Wanderers 👀#SAvENGpic.twitter.com/feEHVlaYTS

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) January 23, 2020

OWEN RILEY

If Mark Wood is ready to go again, I would be tempted to go with five seamers. He has not played back-to-back Tests since the summer of 2017, but if that alone is a reason to leave him out, then he will never play back-to-back Tests again. Give him another shot.

Jofra Archer is said to have been sharp in the nets this week. If the Sussex man is back to full pace, he should feature in Johannesburg.

Stuart Broad will be hoping to repeat his blistering performance of 2017 and Sam Curran continues to chip in with both bat and ball.

Dropping Dom Bess feels harsh. He has performed admirably across two Tests but someone has to make way and I am opting for pace at the Wanderers. The presence of the captain - fresh from a four-for in Port Elizabeth - and Joe Denly ensures the tourists won’t be entirely without a turning ball.

Jos Buttler keeps the gloves but if the lean run continues, surely Ben Foakes needs to come back in when England don the whites in Sri Lanka?

My XI: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Archer, Wood, Broad

^{Dom Bess took his maiden Test five-for in Port Elizabeth - but could he be dropped?}

HUW TURBERVILL

Zak Crawley has been showing sufficient promise to keep Rory Burns’ seat warm. Jonny Bairstow must continue to sit things out. If he’s picked as the spare batsman for the Sri Lanka tour, there are two warm-up matches, and he will hope for a score then.

Jofra Archer appears ready to rock again. Before the last Test, Mark Wood’s three previous appearances had been one-offs. Seemingly fit now, the temptation will be to pair him with Archer at the lively Wanderers. Stuart Broad has had a good winter, with 16 wickets at 24 in the five Tests. His nous and experience remains invaluable (although many still say he could pitch it up more). 

So the choice will be between Sam Curran and Dominic Bess – and bear in mind the Test stats at the Wanderers: spinners take wickets at 36, seamers at 28. Curran has taken nine at 29 this series and been steady. He is a more guaranteed source of runs.

Bess has had a shocker with the bat (0, 0 and 1) but exceeded expectations with the ball (eight wickets at 25). I’d go for him for balance, but the selectors will go for all-out pace probably, despite also having Ben Stokes. Jos Buttler needs a decent knock, otherwise, Ben Foakes should come in for Sri Lanka. I will be surprised if England don’t win.

My XI: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Bess, Wood, Archer, Broad

^{Should Joe Root be given the responsibility of being England's front-line spinner?}

XAVIER VOIGT-HILL

A weird shiver runs down my spine typing these words – the kind you'd usually only get when there's a drift of winged pigs about to soar over our Kennington offices – but there really isn't anything about this England XI that screams out for a change. In the continued absence of James Anderson and Rory Burns, at least.

Any early hesitations about Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope's temerity within the Test arena have been swiftly calmed with centuries in the last fortnight, and Jos Buttler continues to be the best option for the gloves as long as Ben Foakes remains an apparently unwelcome presence in the England setup. Zak Crawley and Dom Bess have been solid if unspectacular contributors after being prematurely forced into the side through circumstance, and I find it hard to believe that anyone calling for Sam Curran's omission has actually ever watched him.

Yet again, the only question truly worth asking is whether Jofra Archer comes in, and my view is there is absolutely no need to rush him back. England have all too often been bitten by crocked seamers of late, so if any doubt lingers over that elbow it would be foolish to risk him in a series decider, especially with Mark Wood on a rare wave of fitness to add raw pace into the mix anyway. 

Certainly, the adventurous call would be to let the Sussex man loose in place of Stuart Broad – who surely won't be part of the plans for all that much longer– and close off a tour defined by youth with a real glimpse at what England might look like in a crunch Test clash without either him or his partner-in-crime Anderson. But winning the series has to be the priority, and you can't really do that if a questionable elbow ends up putting you a man down in the short or long term.

MY XI: Crawley, Sibley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Bess, Broad, Wood