Ben Stokes will head unchanged England side into next Test against South Africa

• Three-match series is level at 1-1 after the second Test at Old Trafford.
• The third Test starts on September 8 at Oval in south London.

The 14-person England team that will play the third and deciding Test against South Africa at the Oval next week will be led by Ben Stokes. The squad was announced on Wednesday.

The three-game series is now tied at 1-1 after England won the second Test at Old Trafford by 85 runs and a dominant innings. The match took three days and was played over three days.

Stokes got 103 runs, which was his first hundred as captain, and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes got 113 runs without being out.

South Africa won the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs, which was almost as bad as England’s win.

Since Stokes took over as permanent red-ball captain from Joe Root at the start of the season, England has only lost one of their six matches. They have won the other five.

Unless there are any last-minute injuries, it looks like England will use the same team that won in Manchester when the third Test starts on Thursday, September 8, at the Oval in south London.

That would mean that Harry Brook, who has never played in a Test, would still have to wait for his chance.

Craig Overton and Matthew Potts will have a hard time breaking into an attack where Ollie Robinson and James Anderson took South Africa’s last five wickets for just seven runs in 30 balls with the new ball.

South Africa could go back to playing four fast bowlers after putting out two spinners at Old Trafford, which didn’t work because England only had one innings.

Rassie van der Dussen has already been ruled out of the third Test because he broke his finger. Aiden Markram, who is struggling and has only scored 42 in his last 13 Tests, may also be dropped.

But if Markram is left off the team, South Africa, which is missing the experienced Temba Bavuma because of an elbow injury, might have to pick Ryan Rickelton and Khaya Zondo, who haven’t played any significant cricket in weeks.

In the first two Tests, the Proteas have only had one player score 50, which was Sarel Erwee’s 73 at Lord’s.

England squad

Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wkt), Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts

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