Brendon McCullum keen to keep the faith with players against South Africa at Old Trafford despite heavy Lord’s defeat

England were outperformed in every part of the game as the Proteas stormed to an innings-and-12-run victory before tea on the third day when the hosts were bowled out for 149.

The Ben Stokes and McCullum era had started successfully as they stormed to unlikely victories in their first four Test matches – including chasing down 378 to beat India earlier in the summer – in stark contrast to their first defeat at the home of cricket.

However the England coach will not respond too hastily, especially when it comes to selection, despite questions being raised over Zak Crawley’s recent struggles with the bat – the opener has averaged just 16.4 in Tests this summer.

“I don’t think we should overreact in the moment,” McCullum said.

“I look at a guy like Zak and his skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer. He’s not that type of player but he is put in that situation because he has a game that means when he gets going he can win matches for England.

“We have got to be really positive around the language we use with him and be really consistent with the selections around that as well and keep giving guys opportunities.

“Selection loyalty is really important because not only does it build loyalty with the guys that are in the side but also it builds loyalty for the guys on the outside knowing that when their time and their opportunity does come they are going to be afforded the same sort of loyalty.”

England had dominated in their first four Tests, although they were always chasing the game.

At Lord’s there were few signs of the aggressive batting approach known as ‘Bazball’, although for the most part the English batters were blown away by the well-balanced South African bowling attack.

Anrich Nortje hit 95mph in a spell that saw him claim three wickets in just 10 deliveries, while Kagiso Rabada earned a place on the Lord’s honours board with a five-fer in the first innings.

McCullum admitted he would have liked to see England try and turn the pressure back on the bowlers during the game.

He said: “I guess one of the messages we will be talking about is did we go hard enough with our approach?

“Could we maybe go a little harder and try turn some pressure back on the opposition as well?

“When the game was in the balance and a couple of spells from their boys were testing, we could maybe have been a little braver to be able to turn some pressure back on the opposition – in both innings. But, you have to try to absorb pressure at times and get yourself back to a position of parity to then put some pressure back on the opposition.

“We weren’t able to do that.”

Dom Sibley, meanwhile, is enjoying his cricket again but trying to stay focused on the present with Warwickshire rather than any potential England recall.

The opener was discarded from the international set-up last summer after a string of low scores and opted against touring Australia with England Lions in order to work on his technique back home.

A century in May against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford – the venue for England’s second Test with South Africa next week – vindicated the “difficult” decision Sibley made when he turned down the chance to be part of a shadow squad Down Under while the Ashes were going on.

Further success has followed with a dogged 102 at Northamptonshire in June forcing a final-day draw but more recently the 26-year-old has shown his skills in white-ball cricket with the County Championship on pause.

An unbeaten 106 earlier this month started Warwickshire’s Royal London Cup campaign with victory away to Gloucestershire and he struck 89 on Friday in a losing cause against Middlesex in Radlett.

A day later, England went down in three days to South Africa at Lord’s but Sibley is staying typically level-headed.

“I am trying to not look too far ahead and to stay in the present,” said Sibley. “I have games coming up and want to get runs for Warwickshire so that is all I am focused on at the minute.

“I am feeling good, playing nicely. I played nicely (against Middlesex). Radlett is a quick scoring ground and it is always nice to have a quick outfield.

“Overall when I have been batting in the red-ball stuff, it has been about enjoying it a bit more. I wanted to play with a bit more enjoyment compared to last summer. I am just trying to enjoy it a bit more.”

Enjoyment has been a big buzz word used by new England Test captain Ben Stokes, who has quickly ushered in an ultra-aggressive style which worked in June and July with thrilling chases in victories against New Zealand and India.

South Africa halted the Stokes and Brendon McCullum winning streak at Lord’s with victory achieved by an innings and 12 runs only a week after an England Lions XI which contained Sibley thrashed the Proteas by an even bigger margin in Canterbury.

While Sibley was overshadowed in the four-day match by the eye-catching exploits of Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence, it was his 48 at the top that set them a platform and also occurred at a quicker than usual strike rate of 77.41 under the watchful eye of McCullum and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key.

“It was good to play South Africa last week, really enjoyable,” the soon-to-be Surrey player admitted.

“They (McCullum and Key) spoke at the start and as a team we just wanted to play well.

“We wanted to play some good, positive cricket and we did that, so it was an enjoyable week.”

Sibley scored his maiden Test hundred away to South Africa in 2020 but he was only able to pass three-figures once more for his country and it saw him dropped last August with an average of 28.94 from 22 matches.

Despite Zak Crawley’s struggles this summer, England are expected to stick with the Kent batter for next week’s second Test in Manchester and have no obvious back-up opener in their current 14-man squad.

It means Sibley’s chances of a recall may have to wait until the winter tour of Pakistan but he is determined to finish the domestic season strongly and bid farewell to Warwickshire by keeping them in Division One.

“Yeah, I guess it was difficult but I needed to work on my game and work on my technique so I’m pleased I’ve scored a few runs since,” Sibley reflected on the decision to turn down the England Lions tour of Australia last winter.

“I feel like I have been playing well but I want to finish off the season strongly.

“Hopefully I can finish with a couple more big hundreds in the Championship to help us stay up. It would be really good to finish off well (at Warwickshire) and make sure as a team we don’t get relegated.”