Author: Harry Howes

It may have been a typical British summer in terms of the weather but when it comes to cricket, it’s been uncharacteristically fun. Despite England not managing to win the Ashes, the all-out attacking style of ‘Bazball’ has made Test cricket enjoyable again and delivered one of the greatest series in recent history.

A thrilling final day in the fifth Test at The Oval saw a Stuart Broad inspired England win to level the series at 2-2. Australia ultimately retained the famous urn but it was important for Brendan McCullum that his side didn’t go down without a fight – and it could have been so different had the fourth Test not been ruined by the rain.

While it may not be traditional, there’s rarely a dull moment with ‘Bazball’. And as Ben Stokes and co. look forward to some time off following a full throttle few weeks, it’ll be fascinating to see where England’s Test side go from here.

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‘Bazball’ has made Test cricket great again

Whether you love or hate ‘Bazball’, one thing is certain – English Test cricket is alive and kicking. Prior to McCullum taking charge, England had won just once in 17 matches. Something needed to change and it’s been non-stop fun since last May.

England’s new style is exciting, fresh and it’s seen interest in Test cricket reach the highest it’s been in years. It’s not perfect and it may not have delivered an Ashes win but like anything new, it’s a learning process.

‘Bazball’ certainly comes with risk but that’s what makes it exciting. The decision to declare early in the first Test at Edgbaston received criticism and in hindsight, it may have been a mistake. But it showed positive thinking and had it come off, McCullum and Stokes would have been labelled geniuses.

Playing it safe clearly hadn’t been working so it’s refreshing to see them try something new. And ultimately, it’s not early declarations or batting order selection that stopped England winning the Ashes. It’s individual errors, poor shot selection and dropped catches (not to mention the rain!), which can be ironed out and could so easily have gone the other way.

‘Bazball’ is not just a fun experiment – it’s only just getting started. There’s no reason to change it now and England now have six months to learn from their mistakes and conjure up a plan to take it to the next level.

Changing of the guard

‘Bazball’ isn’t the only dramatic change affecting England’s Test cricket side. Legendary bowler Broad has announced his retirement from the game – and he might not be the only one.

The 37-year-old has enjoyed almost 17 years representing England in all disciplines of cricket and there likely wasn’t a dry eye in the house as he walked out to bat one last time with old pal Jimmy Anderson on day four at The Oval.

Not one for going out quietly, Broad finished in style as he smashed Mitchell Starc for six in his final shot in Test cricket. And in his final innings with ball in hand, Broad finished his career with the ultimate fairytale ending, dismissing Todd Murphy and Alex Carey to claim 604 Test wickets and win England the match.

While Anderson is yet to announce where his future lies, there are grumblings that his retirement may not be too far away either. The Lancashire stalwart turned 41 on Saturday and having struggled with his fitness this year, he may choose to call it a day in the near future.

Despite some of England’s greats reaching the twilight of their careers, the future remains bright. This Ashes series has shown there are plenty of young prospects ready to step up and lead the next generation.

Harry Brook is just 24 and only made his Test debut last September. Yet at times against Australia, he looked like a seasoned pro and his 75 was pivotal in England winning the third Test at Headingley.

Similarly, Zak Crawley is only a year older than Brook and he’s established himself as a superb opening batsman. His stunning return of 189 at Old Trafford will go down in Ashes history, regardless of the match eventually being rained off.

The next time the Ashes takes place on these shores, the likes of Stokes, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow may still be fit and hungry enough to play a part. But the latest series has shown that the conveyor belt of talent in this country is as fruitful as ever and the future is in good hands.

What’s next for England?

Some members of England’s Ashes team will have their eye on the World Cup, which gets underway in October. But for the Test side, there’s plenty of World Test Championship action to look forward to over the next couple of years.

The Ashes series against Australia was the first of England’s six scheduled fixtures in the competition, which involves nine nations in total. The two sides that finish top of the table will battle it out in a final at Lord’s in the summer of 2025.

Next up for England is a trip to India for a five-match series starting in January. Stokes will be hoping to be fit and raring to go by then. The England skipper is set to spend the next six months recovering from a knee injury that has given him constant issues throughout the Ashes.

Following the India fixture, England will be back on home soil for two Test matches next summer. First up they welcome the West Indies in July, with three matches taking place at Lord’s, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston.

The following month, McCullum’s side will start another three-match series against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, Lord’s and The Oval. If you enjoyed the Ashes and fancy seeing ‘Bazball’ in person, you can watch these series from the best seats in the house with our exclusive hospitality packages.

England will finish their World Test Championship campaign with away trips to Pakistan and New Zealand at the end of next year, before (hopefully) heading to Lord’s for the final. Fingers crossed!

Despite their best efforts in the limited playing time at Old Trafford, England’s hopes of winning the Ashes are over. A rain-delayed fourth Test ended in a draw, meaning the famous urn will be returning down under with Australia.

After losing the first two Tests, a win at Headingley had given England hope of a historic turnaround. The opening few days at Old Trafford threatened to turn this into one of the most exciting Ashes series in history.

But in a cruel twist of fate, a dramatic comeback was taken out of England’s hands by the weather to turn the series into a (literal) damp squib. With just 30 overs bowled in the final two days, the fourth Test was rained off, leaving the score at 2-1 to Australia.

England can now only hope of levelling the scores in the final Test at The Oval, meaning holders Australia retain the Ashes. Yet despite the disappointing end result, England’s spirited performance at Old Trafford has given huge reasons to be optimistic going forward.

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Bazball makes its mark

With England needing a win and the weather forecast threatening us with a three-day Test, the country sat back and prepared to see ‘Bazball’ in its purest form.

A strong bowling performance limited Australia to just 317 in a first innings that included Stuart Broad’s 600th Test wicket and an incredible diving catch from the much-maligned Jonny Bairstow.

It was England’s turn to bat and Old Trafford feared the worst when Ben Duckett was caught behind by Alex Carey after just six balls. But they needn’t have worried as Zak Crawley took the game by the scruff of the neck.

The Kent batsman was in imperious form, smashing home an incredible 189 to record just his third Test century. Crawley built up a huge partnership with Joe Root, whose 84 boosted England’s tally.

There were some concerns prior to the match when it was revealed that Moeen Ali had been pushed up the order but his 54 was the highest score from a three in the whole series, before Marnus Labuschagne beat it in his second innings.

As England built up a lead, an early declaration was on their mind as they kept one eye on the weather forecast. Then it was time to have some fun. Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Bairstow all got in on the act, scoring 50s.

It was the first time since the 1930s that six of England’s top seven had all scored 50 in the same innings, as well as being the fastest either team has ever reached 300 in an Ashes Test innings.

England were unstoppable as they finished on 592, giving them a 275-run lead over Australia. Their only job now? Bowl them out before the rain ruins the fun.

They tried their best, but ultimately nature spoiled the party. As the action ended on day four, England had taken five wickets and were 61 runs ahead. But sadly, there was nothing they could do. A constant flow of rain meant there was no play on day five, meaning Australia retained the Ashes by default.

Bairstow silences his critics

Bairstow received plenty of criticism for his performances in the first three Tests – some of it was harsh, some perhaps justified. In fact, his initial inclusion in the squad raised some eyebrows considering he’s spent much of the last year sidelined with a broken leg.

The wicket keeper has had a mixed series. He’s dropped several catches and there have been calls to bump him up the order and bring in Ben Foakes behind the stumps. But after a 78 in the opening innings at Edgbaston, Bairstow’s best return prior to Old Trafford was 20, so it was a stretch to suggest his batting was keeping him in the side.

Rightly or wrongly, Stokes has stuck by his man. And the England captain’s loyalty was rewarded as Bairstow looked reborn in the fourth Test. He made three catches during Australia’s first innings (and another three in their second), including a mind-blowing diving one-hander to dismiss Mitchell Marsh.

The 33-year-old’s safe hands gave him confidence as he returned to the crease. Bairstow smashed Australia around the park to earn an unbeaten 99, which would have been his 13th Test century had Jimmy Anderson’s lbw dismissal not signalled the end of England’s first innings.

England may have ultimately failed in their mission to reclaim the Ashes on home soil. However, Bairstow certainly played his part in running the Aussies close and his return to form following his now infamous run out at Lord’s has justified his continued selection.

Does Test cricket need a shake up?

The evolution of England’s style under Brendan McCullum and Stokes has made them exciting to watch again. The all-action nature of this summer’s Ashes series has reignited the country’s love for the game.

So, does Test cricket as a whole need to take a leaf out of the ‘Bazball’ playbook? It seems strange that such a thrilling match can be spoiled by something as trivial as the weather. Most of us can take losing a series when we’ve been outplayed by a better team. But when the rain takes over, it’s just underwhelming.

It’s right that cricket has been this way since its inception and traditions need to be respected to an extent. But the game has modernised in many ways, whether that’s through umpire technology, equipment or playing style.

So would it not make sense to have contingency plans in place to deal with adverse weather? Having a day or two in reserve in the event that matches are shortened would ensure that as much cricket as possible is played.

Earlier in the week when it was clear that days four and five were in jeopardy, playing later in the day or having a shortened lunch break to get extra overs played would have made logical sense.

Regardless of the outcome, it’s been a thrilling Ashes series and after their performance in the first two Tests, Australia have played their part in retaining the urn. However, it would have been so much more engrossing for everybody involved had there been something on the line going into the final Test at The Oval.