Given that the current regime like to give players one too many tests, rather than one too few, I think that wicket of Amla's will get Dawson another test.
I would also have left Ballance out in favour of a top order player. I'm not sure what I'd do beyond that. The spin department is a big problem, even taking into account Moeen's performance here. I think Dawson is worth a try as a Giles-type bowler who can keep it tight and block up an end but he failed to do that in the first innings here and this second innings almost has to be set to one side because of the pitch (and some relatively poor batting). I won't be at all surprised if he gets another go seeing as England have crammed 6 bowlers into the side (plus 2 decent part-timers in Jennings and Root) but he needs to at least keep the runs down. I'm not as down on Rashid as you and feel he deserved a shot this summer. He tailed off in the winter but did quite well at the start of the India series (interestingly, this was while Saqlain was around). It's quite telling that his county colleague doesn't want him in the side though so I don't expect him to come back now. It's not really the right time to say this but for me Moeen Ali has actually been a problem in this England side. Yes, he's taken a hatful of wickets today (on a minefield of a pitch) but he's had a long run in the side and his bowling has basically been shown not to be good enough for a first choice spinner. I'm sure there was talk at the start of this game that Dawson was picked as first choice spinner so England may also have taken that view. So for me Moeen needs to be getting in the side as a batsman. I'm not totally convinced he's good enough to do that but he's been moved up and down the line-up so much he deserves a chance to prove himself, probably at 5. Bairstow then bats at 7 and you're left with that problem of who your first choice spinner should be. Jack Leach may force his way into the team at some point but England won't want Broad batting at 8 so I suspect he'll have to wait until Woakes gets back in the side.
First WC win over Australia in 24 years means that England top the table....with games against NZ and West Indies to come. Very good chance of making last four.
Leach has only taken six more D1 wickets than Dawson this season, despite having played two more matches and having a spin friendly home surface. Behind the kolpak Harmer, they are leading the wicket stakes for spinners in either division. Throw in the fact that only Parry has a better bowling average than Dawson (of English spinners to have bowled at least 100 overs, in either division), and the stats are in Dawson's favour. If we insist on playing two spinners, then I'm fine with picking Dawson. But ideally I'd rather we didn't insist on that.
Same 15 man squad for tomorrow night (which is live on Sky, by the way). Same XI I would imagine, unless they want to rotate the bowlers and give Wood a go (Abbott and Berg have got to rest at some point, surely).
I hope that they pick the strongest XI and hopefully keep winning then we can rest a few if we can qualify early.
England ladies play NZ in the WC this morning (on Sky). Already top the group, so need to keep up the good work.
Luke Fletcher will be out for the rest of the season after his head injury sustained against Birmingham. Needs time to recover. Best wishes to him.
And he's just merrily continued doing so. After a quiet first over, these two are back to how they were vs Glamorgan.
I don't quite understand what Sussex are doing replacing Van Zyl with Garton by the way. Look painfully short on batting now - relying too much on their selection of bowlers who can hold a bat. So much pressure on Nash and Wright to get them off to a good start, when they come to bat.
