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Morkel: celebrates another wicket

England are simply finding out that they are playing a tougher team than New Zealand, their opposition for the last six months.

Michael Atherton
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After England's thrashing at Headingley, it's clear the selectors should indulge in some clear-thinking.

There is no need to panic. Yes, England are in a bit of a state but they now have time to reflect before Saturday when they announce their team for the next Test, at Edgbaston.

When you've lost a game so emphatically it's very easy to think 'let's make all these changes because it will automatically improve things', but that's rarely the case.

England are simply finding out that they are playing a tougher team than New Zealand, their opposition for the last six months.

They have been able to get back into games from difficult situations. Well, South Africa are a better and tougher side than the Black Caps and they have not allowed England to do that; they thoroughly deserved their 10-wicket win.

Confusion never helps and there were lots of unusual things happening before this Test even started.

Firstly, Chris Tremlett was called up but then Darren Pattinson played ahead of him and there was also the odd scenario of wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose batting at number six to accommodate Andrew Flintoff's return at seven.

Role

England must now decide what role Flintoff is going to play; do they want him to be an all-rounder in which case he needs to bat at six and play like a batsman.

But the fact that they played him at seven this week suggests they don't see him as a genuine all-rounder but more as a bowler who bats, so if that is the case they have to find someone else to bat at six and play Flintoff as one of four bowlers.

Of course they are now 1-0 down in the series and need 20 wickets to win the next Test so I would have thought they would want to play five bowlers on that basis.

My feeling is that the selectors will probably be reasonably calm about it and bat Flintoff ahead of Ambrose and make one change, bringing in Ryan Sidebottom for Pattinson.

What England are really lacking is an out-and-out strike bowler; they thought they would have that with Flintoff but he bowled 40 overs for one wicket and his strike-rate in Test cricket is not that of a strike bowler.

So that brings Steve Harmison into the equation but the problem is if he plays and does well for two Tests you have the winter scenario all over again.

Tired

Stuart Broad has looked a little tired to me over the last few days; he's a fairly young lad and young bones get more tired especially after back-to-back Test matches when he's had to do a lot of bowling.

But he's got a week to rest, recover and recuperate but clearly he's got to get wickets because that's his main job. Yes, his runs at eight are important and the selectors will want to stick with him but moving forward he'll have to contribute more with the ball.

Monty Panesar is a slightly different case; he did try to bowl around the wicket a bit more and varied his pace but South Africa are playing him pretty well and he doesn't look a threat.

However, he is still the only option; England really are short in the spin-bowling department so Panesar is the main man and he's done pretty well in his Test career so far so he's safe.

Meanwhile, South Africa continue to go from strength to strength. They are a tough team. I felt they arrived at Lord's a little under-prepared but would improve as the series went on.

Both Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers followed the example set by Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie at Lord's and cashed in when the hard-earned chances came their way.

Playing at Headingley requires certain disciplines and the bottom line is that South Africa were much more focused on them than England.