BAIRSTOW OR BUTTLER, THAT ISN'T A QUESTION

Late du Plessis wicket puts England on the verge

It has been the trend for a while now that teams select their wicketkeeper with more in mind than the ability to catch and stump.

Runs are the currency, however those doing the selecting choose to dress it up, and if you’re not getting any then the chances are, however commendable your glovework, you’ll find yourself looking in from the outside.

After day four in Durban, with England six wickets from taking a 1-0 lead in the series, the decision to replace Jos Buttler with Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps, had been fully vindicated.

Place to one side the missed stumping that gave AB de Villiers, of all people, a life on 33, and concentrate on the free-scoring 79, at better than a run a ball, which had propelled England to an advantage that should prove to be decisive.

Batting hasn’t been the easiest of tasks throughout on a surface too sluggish to encourage fluency but that information obviously didn’t filter down to the Yorkshireman who looked in prime touch right from the off.

He added 48 with Moeen Ali and a further 43 alongside Chris Woakes as England, who were already bossing proceedings despite losing Joe Root and James Taylor, neither of whom could add many to their overnight totals, and Ben Stokes who contributed just five.

When he was the last out, caught at long off from the gentle medium pace of Stiaan van Zyl, England led by 415 with four and a half sessions remaining.

For all the abundant natural talent Buttler possesses, the Ashes and subsequent two Tests in the United Arab Emirates highlighted a batting technique which, when a defensive mindset is required, is found wanting.

He will come again, of that there is little doubt, but in the simplest of terms, Bairstow is a superior batsman and worthy of his place.

Some will point to his error late in the day when de Villiers advanced to Moeen and was yards down the pitch as the ball spun between bat and pad and over the stumps without locating the keeper’s gloves but if you’re willing to compromise in the first instance then such mistakes have to be lived with. If work behind the stumps was the most important factor then neither Bairstow nor Buttler would be anywhere near the Test side.

So while it could’ve been better, there is no doubt it was a very good day for Alastair Cook’s side.

Stokes got one through van Zyl’s defence from round the wicket after the hosts had made a brisk start to their chase and Steven Finn then saw off the horrendously out of form Hashim Amal, edging a loose cut behind, and first innings centurion Dean Elgar who was sharply taken by Root at second slip.

The pairing of Faf du Plessis and de Villiers set about steading the listing vessel in determined fashion, of which they both have previous, and the close of play was in sight when Finn found the former’s edge and, ultimately, Cook at first slip, in the final over of the day with an excellent delivery.

So the equation, as it stands, sees South Africa requiring a further 280 (slim chance) and England half a dozen wickets (very strong chance). I know who I fancy.