“The Ashes are well and truly alive because of one cricketer – and that cricketer is Benjamin Stokes”.
That was the now iconic line of commentary delivered by Nasser Hussain after Stokes won England the third Ashes Test at Headingley in 2019. His unbeaten 135 – allied with Jack Leach’s epic one not out – taking his country to a remarkable one-wicket triumph.
Stokes kept the Ashes alive then – until the end of the fourth Test, which Australia won at Emirates Old Trafford to retain the urn – and because of him this summer’s Ashes, which starts at Edgbaston on Friday, live on Sky Sports, is the most alive since 2005.
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The Ashes – Live
Friday 16th June 9:30am
There are definite ’05 vibes heading into the latest England-Australia showdown.
Tremendous excitement among fans. A rejuvenated England side against a superb Australia team.
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A recent and extremely talented gate-crasher to the middle order – Kevin Pietersen back then, Harry Brook now. A talismanic all-rounder – Andrew Flintoff back then, Stokes now.
A dependable Surrey player left out – Graham Thorpe back then, Ben Foakes now. An attacking captain – Michael Vaughan back then, Stokes now. Vaughan was attacking but Stokes?! He is in a completely different stratosphere.
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We look at how England’s 2005 Ashes-winning side compares with the team that completed a stunning victory over New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2022
Will Bazball work? It has so far
Since taking over a side with one win in 17, Stokes has got England playing a scintillating brand of cricket that has racked up 11 victories from 13. There’s a name for their style. It begins with B…
England may not like uttering the ‘Bazball’ word but everyone else seems to. It crops up in nearly every press conference: “Will Bazball work here?” “Will Bazball work there?” “Will Bazball work in The Ashes?”
Well, it worked here – at home to New Zealand, India, South Africa and Ireland and it worked there – in Pakistan and New Zealand.
Will it work in The Ashes? No one knows – but it sure will be fun finding out. And we will find out because there is no way England are switching. Not for The Ashes, not for anyone, not for anything.
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We look at the story of Bazball – England’s successful and swashbuckling style of cricket under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes
“What we have been able to do is find a formula that works for the individuals we have in the dressing room. That won’t change because of the opposition,” Stokes said ahead of the Ireland Test at Lord’s earlier this month, which England won by 10 wickets in three days.
On the eve of The Ashes, he said similar: “I think we have made it clear that this is how England play their cricket against any opposition, no matter who it is.”
Like in 2005, but this year to an even greater extent, England are going to go hard at Australia as they look to regain the urn. Be the bruisers not the bruised. It’s a world away from the timid team that lost the Ashes in 12 days during the winter of 2021/22.
Back then, England fans watched from behind their fingers, perhaps even from behind their sofas, not with the wonderment they do now. Back then, England went five Tests without scoring 300. Now they are a side who will be disappointed if they don’t get 400 in a day. In Pakistan in December they smoked 500 in a day.
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Highlights from day one of the first Test in Rawalpindi in December as England scored a record-breaking 506-4 against Pakistan
No disrespect to Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed, both of whom are fine players, but when they featured in Australia you sensed Pat Cummins’ men didn’t mind whether they got out or stayed in.
If they were dismissed early, Australia were into the middle order but if they managed to hang around for a bit, then they weren’t exactly going to take the game away from you with rapid scoring.
Runs, wickets and an inspirational leader
Times have changed. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett are the most modern-day of openers and the biffing doesn’t stop there. England have a top eight that can hit hundreds at around a run-a-ball. Many of them in significantly fewer balls.
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Highlights from Jonny Bairstow’s 77-ball century against New Zealand in Nottingham last summer
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Harry Brook hit the most runs by an England batter in a Test over when he took Pakistan leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood for 27 in Rawalpindi late last year
Already under Stokes, we have seen Jonny Bairstow hit a 77-ball ton. Harry Brook has done it in 80. Zak Crawley 86. Ollie Pope 90. Stokes, before Bazball was a thing, hit an 85-ball Test hundred and a 163-ball 200.
England also have bowlers who adore these conditions and ones revitalised by Stokes’ aggressive captaincy, attacking fields and focus on wickets, not economy rates.
No pace bowler has more Test wickets than James Anderson (685). No Englishman has more Ashes wickets than Stuart Broad (131). No bowler gives David Warner as many nightmares as Broad, with the England seamer knocking over the Australia opener seven times in the 2019 series and 14 times across 26 Test matches in total.
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England bowler Stuart Broad says he is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Australia’s David Warner during The Ashes
Then there is Ollie Robinson, who has snatched his 66 Test wickets at an average under 22. Later in the series, England will surely unleash the express Mark Wood, one of the few success stories of the Ashes shellacking in 2021/22 as he struck 17 times and became one of the few bowlers to make Marnus Labuschagne look human.
England have the weapons to hurt Australia, with bat and with ball. Stokes, of course, is their biggest weapon of all.
As game-changing all-rounder (fingers crossed), as inspirational leader – returning off-spinner Moeen Ali said he probably would not have ended his Test retirement for any other captain – and as the man who has underpinned one of sport’s, let alone cricket’s, most dramatic turnarounds.
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Stokes feels he is in ‘a really good place to be able to bowl’ in the Ashes opener
The Ashes is the next challenge. The biggest challenge. Against the World Test champions no less.
England’s emboldened batting will receive arguably its sternest test to date from Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green.
Labuschagne and Steve Smith are men incredibly hard to remove, no matter how aggressive and quirky your plans and fields are. Travis Head is in form at No 5, if at times suspect against the short ball. In fact, Labuschagne, Smith and Head currently occupy the top three spots in the ICC Test batting rankings.
So, we ask again: Will Bazball work in The Ashes?
The more pertinent question, perhaps, is does it even matter? Sport is about results but it is also about entertainment and this England team pride themselves on the latter not the former.
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McCullum says The Ashes is the biggest stage and that England must entertain and captivate kids
They might wallop their way to a series victory or they might come unstuck but if they do lose, you can rest assured that they will go down swinging. It’s the Stokes way, it’s the Brendon McCullum way and it’s going to keep you gripped over the course of five Tests.
The Ashes are well and truly alive, so thank you, Benjamin Stokes.
Watch The Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket from Friday. Coverage begins at 9.30am ahead of the first ball at 11am. You can follow in-play clips and text commentary on Sky Sports’ digital platforms.
Sourse: skysports.com
