England News
Daryl Mitchell and New Zealand have put England to shame
Charbel Coorey analyses England’s 160-run defeat to New Zealand, with Daryl Mitchell’s measured innings exposing Bazball’s shortcomings.
By Charbel Coorey
“Bazball dies where it all began,” said the ever-eloquent Michael Atherton on commentary as New Zealand sealed a series triumph courtesy of a comprehensive 160-run victory over England at Trent Bridge.
One team had the hallmarks of a professional, well-drilled unit, focusing on the one-percenters and sticking to high-percentage cricket for as long as possible.
The other is a team that is stuck, with their high-risk, reckless strategy clearly found out.
The starkest contrast was during an event-filled day four that felt like a testimonial than a Test match.
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Mitchell’s measured approach wears England down
Amid Ben Stokes’s retirement announcement midway through the day’s play (make of that what you will), Daryl Mitchell epitomised everything this England side is lacking.
Despite copping blow after blow to the body on a tricky Trent Bridge pitch, Mitchell refocused on the next delivery.
He was in no rush, unflustered by the Bazball-induced supporters chanting “boring, boring Mitchell” as he ground England down with his first 50 coming off 170 deliveries.
His next 50 came off just 71 balls, teeing off having earned the right to with a declaration in sight.
Rachin Ravindra also deserves great praise. The left-hander is one of cricket’s elegant stroke-makers, but he fell into the trap of playing on the up earlier in the series.
He was more selective in the second innings at Trent Bridge and was still able to score a superb 94 off 149 balls, striking at 63.08.
England need the reset they should have made in January
For England, if the 4-1 Ashes defeat down under wasn’t proof they needed a reset, this certainly is. To be beaten by a better team is one thing, but to be outfought is another.
New Zealand were willing to dig in and play the long game. They knew the pitch would wear out further.
They also knew they wouldn’t need more than a day to knock off an England side that will do a lot of the work for them.
England, like so often under Bazball, take the easy way out, swinging to the hills in the name of “playing our way.”
The lack of attention to detail is remarkable, most evident in the complete failure to recognise New Zealand were effectively down to three fit bowlers.
Will O’Rourke picked up a hand injury on day four and strained his hamstring on day five, while Ben Sears was also struggling. The two bowled just 9.5 overs between them.
Now the question beckons for England: where to from here? With Stokes gone, England need a new captain.
On the evidence of his reckless 9-ball 21 on the fourth evening, prompting laughter among the Kiwis, Harry Brook doesn’t give the impression he’s ready to lead. Not under Brendon McCullum at least.
It is a point brought up by Michael Vaughan in his piece for The Telegraph.
The former England captain has no issue with Brook being handed the role provided it is under another coach with a different mindset.
“Brook just cannot do that job if McCullum is still in charge,” Vaughan wrote. “It is yin and yin. You cannot have that. I am more than happy for Brook to do the job with someone else, but not McCullum. It would be chaos.”
England desperate for better communication and attention to detail
Off-field incidents in New Zealand and Australia led to a curfew. Gus Atkinson and Stokes were said to have broken the rules and were subsequently left out of the second Test at The Oval.
Findings by the Cricket Regulator cleared the duo of any wrongdoing. McCullum later admitted there was some “ambiguity” around the curfew rules.
It is an example of the poor communication that players including Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow have spoken out against.
Also, to be better on the field, England must plan better off it.
They didn’t hire a fielding coach for the Ashes, were underdone early in the series due to inadequate preparation, and planned their Noosa trip a year in advance before scrambling to find a bowling coach six weeks before the Perth Test.
McCullum and Rob Key did a good job in helping England off the mat in 2022. But the team now needs a new approach that blends positivity with tactics and accountability.
It will be interesting to see what decision the ECB makes with England’s next Test starting on August 19 against Pakistan.
The Ashes are a year away, so they need to make a call now.
Charbel Coorey is an Australian fan, writer and founder of cricket website CricBlog.
READ MORE: England have hit their ceiling under Brendon McCullum and Rob Key – and it’s time for change