Undercooked and overcooked - frazzled England humbled

This video can not be played

England swept aside by South Africa in first ODI

South Africa have a habit of forcing introspection in English cricket.

Previous defeats inflicted by the Proteas Test team resulted in the resignations of three England captains in succession: Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss.

Two years ago, they handed out a thumping in Mumbai in a World Cup defeat which sent Englands 50-over team into a spiral from which they are yet to recover, and another at this years Champions Trophy was the last in Jos Buttlers reign as white-ball captain.

This latest one-day international thrashing at Headingley, the third in a row in the format after those two in India and Pakistan, will not cause such searching of the soul.

Yes, England were crushed by a margin not illustrated by the mere seven wickets written on the scorecard. The gulf is better described by their fans ironic cheers when a wicket finally fell, or by the fact those in attendance left before the floodlights had taken hold.

But while a reality check for Harry Brook at the start of his reign as white-ball captain should not be a trigger for drastic changes, neither can it be simply swept aside.

Those in charge should ask whether Englands players, pushed out again and again this summer, were ever given the best chance?

"A lot of teams would make excuses but we are not one," Brook said, both conforming to and contradicting coach Brendon McCullums call for humility.

The 26-year-old, who remained upbeat after a first defeat seven matches in the job, instead wanted to pass the defeat off as a bad day.

"We have to put that behind us and crack onto the next game," he said.

Brook is never one to overthink and will aim to practise the words he preached.

The concern, though, is the manner in which he and his fellow batters subsided.

After their skipper was dismissed - the Yorkshireman not blameless for the confusion with Jamie Smith that led to his run-out - England lost seven wickets for 21 runs in 7.1 overs to be all out for 131.

Jacob Bethell edged to slip, Will Jacks chipped back and even Jos Buttler was subdued before wafting with his hands away from his body.

It was the type of meek resistance usually saved for the end of an Ashes tour when heads are scrambled.

It would be little wonder if tiredness in Brooks mind played any part in his mid-pitch change of thought which ended in his run out.

In his programme notes he described this summers India Test series as "certainly the most tiring" he has been a part of.

Since then, he had three days off before a month captaining Northern Superchargers in the whirlwind of The Hundred, right up until Saturday nights late-night rain-thwarted elimination at The Oval.

"If feels like this will be slightly easier because it is slower," he said before this match, when asked how he will deal with switching from one format (100 balls per side) to the other (300 balls).

"I will have more time to think about what is going on and moving fielders."

He may have a different view 36 hours on after a match that lasted less than one completed innings.

This video can not be played

Brook run out by Stubbs after mix-up with Smith

Sympathy for England will be in short supply.

Alternating between formats is part of the modern game and South Africa had their own hurdles, having been in Australia nine days ago and needing to deal with a journey from Mackay to Brisbane to Sydney to the UK via Singapore.

Still, Englands preparation was non-existent: there are no team meetings with Brooks England.

"Ill never have a meeting," he said on Monday. "Most overrated things ever."

And while some may agree, a change from the shortest to the longest white-ball formats requires a recalculation somewhere.

For Jacks and Joe Root, two of the five England players who drove up to Leeds on Monday after playing in the Hundred final, that will have to have been done on the M1.

Their journey meant only eight players were in attendance when England trained on Sunday – the day they hold their main training session is two days before any match.

Brooks opposite number Temba Bavuma may have been celebrating Liverpools victory at Anfield as they did, but at least South Africa had been playing those 50-over matches in Australia.

After this chastening defeat, Brook said: "At the end we almost used it as a practice session once we knew the game was dead. Lads were practising their skills."

They may have benefited from doing so 48 hours earlier.

Such is the schedule, there is no time for England to do any serious work in the nets before the second match on Thursday.

Brooks most important task will be his management of 22-year-old seamer Sonny Baker, who returned the most expensive figures by an England one-day debutant.

After Bakers first four overs cost 0-56, Brook recalled him to the attack for three more - simply an attempt to get him a wicket and brighten a day which began with Bakers family joining the England huddle pre-match.

It did not work. Baker ended with 0-76, to go with his first-ball duck with the bat.

Now Brook, a man of few words, needs to find a way to ensure Baker, a man of many, does not overthink in the days inbetween.

After Lords, the ODIs conclude in Southampton on Sunday, before three T20s against the Proteas across five days and three more against Ireland in Dublin three days later.

This squads Ashes quintet - Brook, Root, Ben Duckett, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse - may be missing those matches in Ireland but there is still barely more than a month between the final match against South Africa and the journey to New Zealand for more white-ball matches which precede the Ashes.

It was announced on Tuesday morning that Australia captain Pat Cummins will take the next two months off to try to be fit for the first Test in Perth.

A necessity to turn around their white-ball fortunes means England cannot afford to do the same with their key men.

They managed to look both under and overcooked in Leeds.

The former is concerning. The result of the latter continuing could be even worse.