Well that was disappointing, wasn't it?

HUW TURBERVILL: Anyone recall the summer of 1986? We lost to New Zealand and India. It was all doom and gloom. But England went to Australia and conquered all. Anyone see it happening again? No, me neither

Well that was embarrassing, wasn’t it? England lost the series against New Zealand, and lost a bit of dignity too.

Kane Williamson’s impudent declaration at Lord’s exposed England’s conservative, cautious brand of cricket; and now they have been outplayed in Birmingham by a New Zealand attack missing Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner.

It’s hard to recall England having so many rookies in their top seven, all averaging in the low 30s, all looking at captain Joe Root as the one proven performer. Rory Burns had a good series, in spite not because of his technique. He now averages 33 from 25 Tests.

Dom Sibley – he also of the idiosyncratic technique – is struggling (20 Tests, average 30.78). I guess that’s not that bad: eight of these matches have been in England, opening against the Dukes ball, and six on the subcontinent, including the spinning minefields of India. His judgement of what to leave is still rather admirable, but obviously his place is under threat.

Zak Crawley has had a nightmare (he now has 704 runs at 29.33 from 13 Tests). The Cricketer published a piece by Philip Collins, then of The Times, wondering why he only averaged 31 in first-class cricket, predicting he wouldn’t transcend that in the Test game. This was soon after his 267 against Pakistan last summer. “That’s a brave view Minister,” Sir Humphrey Appleby might have said. It’s starting to look rather more pertinent now.

Ollie Pope is flattering to deceive. Pretty 23s don’t win Tests. Dan Lawrence has something – he’s definitely worth persevering with.

^{Plenty of run-scoring burden falls on Joe Root in this current England side}

James Bracey has struggled. Sky’s new documentary, Spinwash ’93, showing the similar travails of batsman/keeper Richard Blakey in India, has been aptly timed. His selection as gloveman as has debased the concept of Test cricket as the ultimate form of the game, frankly. Yes Ben Foakes is injured, but resting Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow after their IPL exertions will never sit well with many of us.

Let’s hope Bracey can bounce back and state a case as a No.3.

As Nasser Hussain pointed out on Sky so powerfully, however, it’s not as if these guys haven’t had a good run-in to the series in terms of County Championship matches, and runs scored.

In seven matches – most played in reasonable weather on better pitches than expected – Burns and Pope averaged 61, Lawrence 55 and Bracey 48. Sibley only played three matches after breaking his finger, and averaged 37.

There were indications that Crawley was struggling a bit more than others, his 33 again close to that overall average. Haseeb Hameed has averaged 46.81 and there are indications his long wait for a recall is finally coming to an end.

Chris Silverwood warns England's young batting line-up are running out of time to cement Ashes place

England have to decide whether these players are worth persevering with for India (home), Australia (away, the ultimate test, against Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc), and for the long-term future.

Ted Dexter’s letter in the June edition of The Cricketer (see below) made fascinating reading:

"I was horrified to see the kneeling picture of Ollie Pope on The Cricketer cover (May). What price Wally Hammond now? Garfield Sobers and Graeme Pollock never knelt to drive. The head has dropped, the weight is too far back – only successful against a very over-pitched ball. Pollock stood tall, head high, maintaining his ‘shape’, often hitting on the rise. New batting talent is always tantalising. England hopefuls include Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Pope, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence. Of these only one, Crawley, with a double-hundred against Pakistan, really looks the part, although I accept Pope has aTest ton. All the others defy the basic rules of batting in one way or another. And yet Burns and Sibley both have Test hundreds. It is a quandary for the selectors. I’m beginning to wonder if the more-powerful bats cover the cracks, demanding ever-less attention to detail. The photo of Pope is a case in point. Weight back, right knee on the ground and blade held open – all wrong in my eyes - and yet it probably went for four! Perhaps selectors should remember the old adage: form is temporary, class is permanent. Only Crawley has class," Ted Dexter (Wolverhampton)

^{New Zealand won the second Test by eight wickets}

The composition of England’s bowling attack was also disappointing. The animals went in to two by two… we had a pair of veteran swingers, and a pair of speedsters. All right-arm, no spinner, little variation.

Ollie Robinson, after his promising debut at Lord’s, was suspended. Craig Overton was overlooked despite his barnstorming season.

The treatment of Jack Leach over successive summers is now bordering on the cruel (albeit his non-selection has been hindered by the injury to Ben Stokes).

The microscope is definitely on Chris Silverwood, and specifically the upgrading of his role. He wanted to be a football-style manager, well now he owns it. Ed Smith was not everyone’s cup of tea, but there were checks and balances with that system. The buck stops with Silverwood now, and it looks as if he is following in the footsteps of Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart before him, treating English specialist spinners with a whiff of suspicion.

A word for the New Zealanders, who are on top of their game in Test cricket; their batsmen have played properly, and their bowlers have shone – it’s been good to see Matt Henry break through this Test – Kent fans will not be surprised. They look as if they have about 18 candidates to make their XI against India in the World Test Championship final.

Anyone recall the summer of 1986? We lost to New Zealand and India. It was all doom and gloom. But England went to Australia and conquered all. Anyone see it happening again? No, me neither.