After this week’s crushing 340-run defeat at the hands of South Africa, England selectors were understandably keen to quell the damaging criticism that has come their way as they selected a 13-man squad for the Third Test, which begins on Thursday.

Essex’s Tom Westley and Middlesex’s Dawid Malan have both been called up, with Westley being guaranteed the No 3 spot in place of the injured Gary Ballance.

The batting pair’s selection looks to head off criticism that players are picked solely on their county record and without consideration as to whether they are technically good enough to make the grade at Test level.

Ballance has been at the forefront of this criticism. Having already been dropped twice from the England side, the Yorkshire batsman was brought in at the start of the series on the back of outstanding form in the County Championship.

But again, Ballance has failed to perform against international-class opposition. Despite making good starts, he has yet to register a half century.

Considering that Ballance’s technique is unchanged and his footwork remains wooden, his lack of runs should come as no surprise, regardless of his county performances.

A catastrophic defeat looks to have finally made this oversight clear to selectors. But the selection of Dawid Malan, who conversely has had an unremarkable County Championship season, indicate that the selectors may have panicked, and gone too far to rectify their error.

The Middlesex batsman impressed with a knock of 78 against South Africa in his Twenty20 debut for England last month, but with a single first-class century to his name this year, the 29-year-old would ordinarily not have done enough to warrant a Test call-up.

Kevin Pietersen notwithstanding, there is admittedly no obvious candidate that would be sure to remedy England’s batting woes.

Surrey’s Mark Stoneman has made a strong bid for selection and would suit England’s recent selection policy that favours Division One players and those who have represented the England Lions.

But it may be time to amend England’s selection preferences. Newly promoted Essex’s success at the top of Division One indicates that there is not the gulf in class between divisions that England’s selection preferences imply.

Luke Wells, Samit Patel and Joe Denly have all cashed in on runs in Division Two this year, but scarcely feature in selection discussions.

Patel in particular could offer a better batting alternative to Liam Dawson having scored two double centuries this season and would not compromise England’s spin attack.

However, the Nottinghamshire all-rounder does not look to have come back into favour within the England set-up and does not fit in with the young, dynamic approach Joe Root, Trevor Bayliss and the selectors have preferred so far.

Instead, the 100th Test at the Oval next week will offer Westley, and possibly Malan, the opportunity to make their mark on England’s top order, but it is likely that England’s search for a reliable mainstay will continue for some time.