LONDON
\nHarry Brook urged England\u2019s multi-format cricketers to press on amid a gruelling schedule following another loss to South Africa.
\nWhite-ball captain Brook and England teammates Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith were all involved throughout a draining drawn Test series with India before going straight into the Hundred.
\nNo sooner had that domestic event finished then they were all back on England duty, having to adapt to the very different demands of one-day international cricket against a hardened and talented South Africa side.
\nEngland duly suffered a seven-wicket thrashing in Tuesday\u2019s series opener at Headingley, after collapsing to an embarrassing 131 all out.
\nBut they put up a much better fight at Lord\u2019s on Thursday before losing by just five runs, chasing 331 to win, in a match that went all the way to the last ball.
\nSouth Africa now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match series ahead of Sunday\u2019s finale in Southampton.
\nThe teams then meet in three Twenty20 internationals before England, with a refreshed squad, travel to Ireland for a further three T20s.
\nBrook, however, rejected suggestions England should now rest their leading Test players, particularly a spent-looking Duckett, ahead of a showpiece Test series in Australia starting in November.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not selecting the Ashes side, that\u2019s up to (Ben) Stokesy and Baz (Brendon McCullum),\u201d he said, referring to England\u2019s red-ball captain and head coach.
\n\u201cWe want to try and play our strongest side in every white-ball game. We\u2019ve World Cups coming up \u2014 the T20 World Cup this winter and the one-day World Cup the following winter.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s easy to say that (we\u2019re tired), but in my eyes that\u2019s just an excuse. We\u2019re good enough and fit enough to be able to keep playing for the time being.\u201d
\nBrook, meanwhile, was heartened by England\u2019s improved batting display at Lord\u2019s following their woeful showing at his Yorkshire home ground two days earlier.
\n\u201cWe felt they (South Africa) were 10 or 15 above par, so it was a very good effort for us to get within one blow of their score,\u201d he said.
\nEngland\u2019s hopes of a series-levelling win, however, were compromised by occasional spinners Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks being thrashed for 112 runs in a combined 10 overs.
\n\u201cI probably got it wrong on one occasion when I bowled Jacksy from the Pavilion End to the right-handers hitting it down the hill,\u201d said Brook.
\n\u201cIt was a gamble, and the gamble didn\u2019t pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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