A series victory in South Africa could be the platform for England’s Test team to kick on from, believes Yorkshire’s Jonny Tattersall.
Joe Root’s side head into Friday’s fourth and final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg (8am UK) holding a 2-1 lead.
The Test team have been inconsistent in recent years, winning six of 15 series since their last visit to South Africa in late 2015/early 2016. One of those was last summer’s 1-0 win over Ireland.
Since their last trip to the Rainbow Nation, they have lost five series and drawn five. All five defeats have come away from home to New Zealand twice, the West Indies, India and Australia.
The England hierarchy, including recently appointed head coach Chris Silverwood, have made no secret of their desire to improve performances, especially with the bat. And that is what has happened in the ongoing series.
England have come from 1-0 down having lost the opener at Centurion just after Christmas, going on to win at Cape Town and, most recently, Port Elizabeth.
There is no doubt this South Africa team have ben dealing with problems of their own both on and off the field. But Tattersall said: “They’ve still got some world-class operators in their side, so winning a series away from home is no mean feat.
“Going over to a country for six weeks and coming out on top against players who play in those conditions six months a year is a very good effort no matter who you play against.
“Hopefully England can get over the line and it can be a turning point for the Test team and they can kick on from it. They’ve shown glimpses of being good but have lacked consistency. All teams go through that kind of period, though.”
