Bazball’s quiet evolution is an emphatic answer to England’s critics

England’s final innings with the bat in the 2023 Ashes series was, in some ways, their finest.

They didn’t rely on elongated periods of individual genius or a counter-attacking blitz to execute their ideology. They stayed at a level pace throughout, right from ball one to James Anderson’s final reverse sweep.

When Zak Crawley hit the first ball of the day for four, he was capitalising on a half-volley, just as he had done in the first over of the series. When Ben Duckett eclipsed Australia’s lead five balls later, neither he nor Crawley had taken exceptional risks to do so.

It took Joe Root 19 deliveries to bring out the reverse scoop after he came in, depositing Mitchell Marsh over the wide third-man boundary for six. It’s a shot that looks like a heavy risk, but in reality, Root executes it so well he’s in little danger when he plays it. By lunch, England were 129-1, and Australia already looked like they’d run out of answers. Men on the boundary and wait for them to make a mistake, as has been the plan the whole time.

While Ben Stokes nearly did just after the break, hooked to Mitchell Starc on the boundary and relieved with a drop, England were not going to fall for the same trick again. Harry Brook, the only one of England’s top seven who didn’t make double figures today, was out to a ripper from Josh Hazlewood, not a chip up in the air, or a bunt to midwicket.

What England did today, in scoring their runs so quickly yet not breaking out of a canter, is a resounding exoneration of the doubts hanging over them three Test matches ago. At Lord’s, Australia signalled what their counter was going to be to England’s game plan – the entire approach itself.

After they collapsed and threw away an ascendant position there, much of England’s post-match rhetoric sounded like they’d bought into their own hype. There was a confidence bordering on arrogance when they responded to questions pointing out that their over-aggression had cost them with a wall of positivity.

But behind that, and since then, their growth as a team has been profound, even if the party line has stayed the same.

Instead of giving Australia what they needed today, England dug in, and they did so while scoring at over five an over for most of the day. For the most part, they punished below-par and tired bowlers and ground Australia into the dirt. The five wickets they lost in 12 overs at the end of the day are factored into that. Root got one that kept low off Todd Murphy and Bairstow’s lapse in concentration came once the damage was done. They weren’t perfect, but they were still dominant.

Australia hit a wall today. While they have been clinging onto the series since Headingley, today they lost what was left of their grip. They haven’t been able to extinguish England’s fire this summer; if anything, they’ve grown it. That they secured the urn in the process is a credit to how clinical they were in getting the job done early in the series.

England showed today that they can find an equilibrium. If Crawley and Root’s partnership in Old Trafford was the highest of highs, today felt like a mean, a signal of what they can achieve without being spectacular. Labelling their approach as ultra-aggression to the point of self-sabotage is, and always has been, incorrect – even if that’s how it appeared when they didn’t get it quite right.

It’s about days like today, where they did get it right. It’s about playing on the front foot and prioritising positivity over egotism. Before Headingley, Australia showed the benefits of not losing a match long enough to win it, of ensuring they stayed on par with England to capitalise on key moments when they came. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

England have won at least two sessions out of every day’s play over the last three Tests. They’ve turned their fortunes around by finding another gear many were sceptical they had. The Ashes are gone, but what their quiet evolution over the course of this series could mean for their future as a side is significant.

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Ashes 2023: Stuart Broad announces shock retirement from professional cricket

Ashes 2023: Stuart Broad has announced his retirement from professional cricket.

The England great confirmed his decision speaking on Sky Sports at the end of day three of the Kia Oval Test. He said he had made the decision at 8.30pm the previous evening, and had spoken to Ben Stokes soon after and his England teammates the following morning.

Broad is 37 years old, and the subject of how England replace him and James Anderson when their careers come to an end has been an oft-discussed one in recent years. However, Broad has enjoyed an excellent Ashes campaign, playing all six Tests this summer and standing as England’s leading wicket taker in the 2023 Ashes at the time of writing.

He brought up 600 Test wickets this series, also displacing Ian Botham as England’s leading Ashes wicket taker and becoming the first player from his country to cross 150 Ashes wickets during the final Test.

Broad made his debut in 2007 and has gone on to become one of England’s greatest ever bowlers. With just over 600 Test wickets, only Anderson has taken more among fast bowlers from all countries. He is a T20 World Cup winner and won four Ashes series, in 2009, 2010/11, 2013 and 2015.

BREAKING : Stuart Broad announces he will retire from cricket after the Ashes ends. pic.twitter.com/dNv8EZ0qnC

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 29, 2023

The first and last of those contained two performances which summed him up, with five-for at The Oval in 2009 securing a series win, and figures of 8-15 at Trent Bridge doing the same in 2015. Broad’s signifying trait as a bowler is those ‘knees pumping’ spells in which he tears through a side in a short burst.

Broad confirmed on Sky that he wanted to leave the game on a high.

“I’m loving cricket as much as I ever have, it’s been such a wonderful series to be a part of, and I’ve always wanted to finish at the top,” he said.

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England surge into pole position to win final Test and level Ashes series

England put themselves in pole position for an Ashes-levelling win in the fifth and final Test, leaving Australia a record chase after another display of ‘Bazball’ bravado at the Kia Oval.

The hosts turned in a swaggering attacking performance on day three in south London, clattering their way to 389 for nine as they ushered an enthralling series towards its end game.

Joe Root cracked 91 before being undone by a shooter, Zak Crawley signed off a fine summer with a vibrant 73 and Jonny Bairstow clubbed 78 as the tourists chased leather for 80 overs.

It was a fitting way for England’s batting unit to bow out after six weeks of fearless – and often reckless – hitting with 48 boundaries and three sixes.

Australia have already retained the urn thanks to their 2-1 lead but face a mountainous battle if they are to land a first outright win on these shores in 22 years.

Stuart Broad, England’s second-highest Test wicket-taker of all time, announced after the match that he would be retiring from all cricket at the end of this match.

They are already 377 behind on a ground where the highest fourth-innings pursuit sits at 263, while Donald Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ are the only Australian team to have chased more.

They established a slender lead of 12 before being bowled out in the final act of day two, an advantage that lasted precisely an over.

The first ball of the day was a wide half-volley from Mitchell Starc, practically begging to be crashed through the covers for four. Crawley had done exactly that to the opening ball of the series back at Edgbaston and needed no encouragement to repeat the stroke.

A single and two boundaries from Ben Duckett followed in quick succession, clearing the deficit in six balls. For an Australia side who had scraped just 13 runs off the bat in a soporific first hour on the second day, England’s self-assured start seemed disorientating.

Starc was hauled off after shipping 22 from two overs – a poor spell even by T20 standards, let alone an Ashes Test – with Australia unable to plug the scoring. England reached 50 in 8.4 overs, with Duckett collecting seven fours.

The touring attack were light on ideas but finally made a breakthrough with 79 on the board, when the returning Starc had Duckett (42) caught behind off a thin edge. England were not allowed to send out Moeen Ali due to time spent off the field with a groin injury, leaving Ben Stokes to become his side’s fourth number three of the series.

Any hopes of the wicket allowing Australia to reset crumbled upon contact as Crawley stepped out of Duckett’s shadow and began to dictate terms. He took a liking to Todd Murphy, easing through his arsenal of sweeps and off drives to leave the spinner unsure of what line to bowl.

With Starc continuing to be costly, England romped along to 130 for one at lunch with Stokes an unlikely anchor as Crawley freed his arms. The Durham man is nobody’s idea of a wallflower, though, and he shifted gears abruptly by hooking Josh Hazlewood’s third ball of the afternoon for six.

His immediate reaction suggested Stokes was worried, but Starc could do no more than paw it over the ropes at fine-leg. Crawley was in sight of reaching 500 runs for the series, a landmark few would have tipped him to get close to at the start, but fell 20 short when he drove slightly lazily at a Pat Cummins delivery that shaped away.

That was the first of three wickets in the session, though it would be hard to call it a comeback. Stokes made 42 before hacking Murphy to mid-on and Harry Brook hit one huge straight six before nicking Hazlewood behind, but this was Root’s time to take the spotlight.

After surviving a marginal lbw shout on four, he came to life. Mitch Marsh was reverse ramped for six over third man, a party trick that never loses its sparkle, and flicked fine to fine-leg when he straightened up in response.

Starc, meanwhile, coughed up three consecutive boundaries culminating in a loose-limbed uppercut. Root’s half-century took just 42 deliveries and by the time tea arrived, he and Bairstow had already pushed the lead past 250.

Bairstow seemed particularly hungry to hurry along, depositing Murphy through the covers and popping him back over his head, then tucking into his favourite cut shot to give Hazlewood a dose.

By the time his frenzy took the fifth-wicket stand to 100, he had scored 70 of them. Root was quietly making his way towards his own century, an apparent inevitability until he was cut off by a grubber from Murphy.

The bowler can take credit for generating some handy turn, but Root had no chance as the ball skidded into his stumps off the toe end. Bairstow followed with a flat-footed poke at Starc and the innings wound to an end in a flurry of activity.

The ailing Moeen made an enjoyable 29 in what is surely his final Test innings, but joined Chris Woakes and Mark Wood in donating his wicket chasing quick runs at the close.

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‘Disrespectful and hurtful’ – Bangladesh captain reveals how ‘legend’ Harmanpreet’s post-match words prompted a team walk-out

Bangladesh Women captain Nigar Sultana has opened up on the sour episode involving her Indian counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur in their recent ODI series, revealing why she decided to walk away with her team at the post-match ceremony.

The ICC banned Harmanpreet for two matches in response to her behaviour in the third game: she first smashed the stumps with her bat following a contentious dismissal, remonstrating with the umpire, and later criticised the level of umpiring during the post-match presentation. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, she also shouted “bring the umpires too” when both teams came together for a photograph, before Sultana walked away with her team in protest.

In an interview with Rev Sportz, Sultana said that she would not have felt bad if Harmanpreet’s actions “had it been restricted to the field of play” after the game ended in a tie.

“Honestly speaking I would not have felt bad about it or felt disappointed [if it was just about her on-field antics],” Sultana said. “I would have told my players that it was all in the intensity of the moment, and it is better than all of us moved on from it. But what really disappointed me was that it was not restricted to the field of play.

“Let me tell you something. For my players too, Harmanpreet is a legend of the game. They too look up to her. And when they came and said to me that how can a legend of her stature do this to us, I felt sad and disappointed. That’s what has pained me the most.”

Sultana said that she expected Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana to reach out to the Bangladesh players and applaud them after the game, instead of saying “disrespectful and hurtful” things, which prompted her to end the episode and walk away.

“To tell you the truth, I had felt that whatever may have happened earlier, Harmanpreet and Smriti would walk up to my girls and give them a pat on their back after the match was over, and tell them ‘well played’,” Sultana said. “Coming from players of their calibre and stature, it would have meant the world for our girls. I have seen legends like MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli do this after a game is over. I am sure you have seen this happen after many IPL games or even international games.

“When it did not happen, and she said things which were disrespectful and hurtful during the prize giving, I decided to walk away with my team. I did not want to stay there anymore, and add to the occasion. Someone had to end it, and by walking away, I did so. We shouldn’t let unpleasant things go on, and by walking away, I tried to put an end to things.”

Just in: Harmanpreet Kaur has been suspended for India’s next two international matches and fined 75 percent of her match fees for smashing the stumps and showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during the third ODI against Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/yLQqyw4V5y

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) July 25, 2023

Harmanpreet’s criticism of the umpiring closely followed her actions on the field, calling it “pathetic”, with Mandhana calling for a “neutral-umpiring system” in the press conference. After the game, Sultana should have said Harmanpreet “could have shown better manners”.

One week later, Sultana has asked why no questions were raised by India during the T20I series, which India won, suggesting that the Indian team wouldn’t have raised similar complaints if they had been on the winning side in the ODIs as well.

“The very same umpires officiated in the T20 series, which India won,” Sultana said. “In fact, that too was a very close series and I feel we should have done better in the second game and won it, but we did not. But that is not the point here. The moot point is the very same umpires officiated in the T20 series as well. There was not a single complaint from India. Is it because they had won the series?”

“As players, you are always taught that the umpires’ decision is final, and that we have to respect that. Let me also ask you this – had they won the final ODI, would they have raised the issue of umpiring or was it raised because they did not win the series, and they were disappointed and frustrated with the result?”

Sultana added that the series win could well turn out to be a “watershed moment” for the game in Bangladesh, and that forcing a tie in the third game “means a lot” for the team.

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MCC: Toby Roland-Jones ‘should probably not have been given out’ in bizarre County Championship hit-wicket dismissal

Toby Roland-Jones was at the centre of a bizarre hit-wicket dismissal in the latest round of the County Championship, with clarification now coming from the MCC that he “probably” should not have been given out.

Roland-Jones was playing a blistering innings at the time he was given out. He was on 21 off 14 and planted a six over long on off Ed Barnard, when he dislodged his bails with his bat while admiring his shot. As he swung his bat behind him after the ball had sailed over the rope, it came back down to land on top of the bails and dislodged them.

Warwickshire keeper Michael Burgess noticed the bail lying on the ground and appealed. Roland-Jones was given out hit-wicket.

Out hit wicket?!

Toby Roland-Jones thinks he has planted the ball for six but knocks the bails off in his follow-through #LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/c0tJoutjr3

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) July 25, 2023

The controversy over whether Roland-Jones should have been given out was whether the hit-wicket should stand if the batter has completed the shot, and what constitutes a batter having completed their shot.

Law 35.1 states: “The striker is out Hit wicket if, after the bowler has entered the delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his/her wicket is broken by either the striker’s bat or person… in any of the following circumstances: In the course of any action taken by him/her in preparing to receive or in receiving a delivery.”

Those circumstances are expanded upon in Law 35.2: “The striker is not out under this Law should his/her wicket be put down in any of the ways referred to in 35.1 if any of the following applies: It occurs after the striker has completed any action in receiving the delivery”

The MCC have issued clarification on the decision and where it stands within the existing law. Their statement reads: “Given that the ball was not a No ball, and Roland-Jones was clearly not attempting a run, the relevant sections of the Law are 35.1.1.1 and the first bullet-point of 35.2. Was the striker taking action in receiving the delivery, or had he completed that action?

“Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC’s Official Interpretation of the Laws of Cricket, adds the following: It (the time a batter can be [out] Hit Wicket) includes any ‘follow-through’ swing of the bat after hitting or trying to hit the ball. It also includes any body movement to recover balance after making the stroke – which may go on for some time, and is usually the hardest part of this Law to judge. During all this time, the striker can be out Hit wicket if he/she breaks the wicket.”

However, the statement also referenced a similar incidence concerning Oshane Thomas in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where he was given not out. The MCC clarified that they agreed with that decision at the time given that Thomas had “clearly finished the shot”.

In this context, the end part of their statement said: “It is understandable that the umpires gave Roland-Jones Out – whether or not the act of receiving the ball is complete is a judgement call.

“Roland-Jones could, however, count himself unlucky; he had finished the shot with a brief hold of the bat over his shoulder in the follow-through and was fully in control of his balance – the subsequent downward trajectory of the bat can be deemed to be after he has completed his action in receiving the delivery. On balance, he should probably not have been given Out.”

The laws give autonomy to umpires as to when they deem a shot to be completed. While the statements points out that the MCC can understand why Roland-Jones was given out, another umpire could have also correctly concluded that he was not out.

Middlesex went on to win the match by eight wickets after they bowled Warwickshire out for 60 on day one, with Roland-Jones picking up three wickets.

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Joe Root takes stunning catch but Australia stifle England in fifth Ashes Test

Australia slammed on the brakes on the second morning of the final Ashes Test, shutting England’s bowlers out before a stunning catch from Joe Root lifted spirits at the Kia Oval.

The home side were bowled out for a thrill-a-minute 283 on day one, scoring at a frantic pace but burning out in less than 55 overs, with the tourists grinding their way to 115 for two in reply.

Australia, 2-1 up and with the urn already retained, were more than happy to block their way through the first session and shored their position up with some low-risk cricket which takes them one step closer to a first series win on these shores since 2001.

Resuming on 61 for one, they scraped together just 54 runs in 26 overs. Usman Khawaja was still in place at lunch, moving to 47 not out off 152 deliveries, but Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for nine after chewing through 82 balls.

Joe Root that is 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Come for the catch, stay for Stuart Broad’s reaction #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/W3QmdP1CAY

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 28, 2023

England had been probing away without success until the pace of Mark Wood finally drew a mistake, Labuschagne edging behind for what should have been a regulation take for wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

But he remained static, leaving Root to fling himself into action at first slip and snap up a brilliant one-handed take to his left.

Labuschagne appeared to be unhappy at the fading light levels as he skulked towards the pavilion, but Root’s reactions suggested the thick, grey clouds that lingered over the ground were not too bad.

The arrival of Steve Smith, who reached 13 not out at lunch, picked up Australia’s rate, as he drove James Anderson for consecutive fours to ease past Labuschagne’s score in a fraction of the time.

Anderson endured another demoralising session, wheeling away through a couple of tidy but joyless spells in handy conditions.

James Anderson struggled again (Mike Egerton/PA)

The seamer, who turns 41 on Sunday, has picked up just four wickets in four matches this summer and cannot seem to find the edge of the bat despite building up a steady rhythm.

Stuart Broad was the pick of the attack in a first hour that saw just 13 runs off the bat as well as eight byes.

He had Labuschagne playing and missing, went up for an lbw appeal and saw a flick round the corner land a yard in front of leg gully, but ultimately found himself frustrated by the policy of calculated defence.

Khawaja played his role with aplomb, relentlessly eating up time at the crease in bowler-friendly conditions and ending the morning’s play with a rare flourish as he pinged Wood off his pads to the square-leg boundary.

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James Anderson could be playing his last Test match, and he finally may have found the right time | Ashes 2023

The outpouring of love from the crowd at The Kia Oval after James Anderson enticed Mitchell Marsh to drag onto his stumps was immense.

In the morning session, that same crowd were virtually silent as Australia drove their scoring rate into the ground. When the breakthroughs finally came, Anderson was still absent from the wicket-takers. But, as Marsh’s leg stump was flattened, the crowd were raised to their feet in equal parts relief and gratitude.

Less than ten minutes before play started on Day Two, Anderson was still warming up on the outfield. The rest of his teammates had all gone into the dressing room to change into their whites, but Anderson remained, bowling on the practice pitch with spin coach Jeetan Patel acting as keeper, and consulting bowling coach David Saker after every ball.

As he continued to send down ball after ball in the background, the Sky punditry team discussed the significance of today for Anderson’s England future. Before today, his figures for the series read five wickets for 346 runs in seven innings, with an average of 69.2.

“Usually you can put the pitch map on for Jimmy and it’s a shoe box,” said Mark Butcher. “But he was really struggling to find any sort of consistency yesterday, and as a result of that, he didn’t find any of the lateral movement that some of the others found when the lacquer came off the ball.

“He’s not used to being in this position where he can’t make an impact on the game and when people are questioning whether he should be in the side or not.”

Despite the protestations of Anderson himself and the continued backing of Ben Stokes, there’s still reason to prepare for the eventuality that this Test will be his last. The position he’s found himself in during this series is so unfamiliar to any other in his career that the default for those commenting on it is to point towards its end.

As Emma Thompson’s Nanny McPhee said in the eponymous 2005 film: “When you need me but do not want me, then I will stay. But when you want me but do not need me, then I have to go.” McPhee might have had a few years on Anderson back then, but the statement rings true for him too.

For the latter years of his career, Anderson has been desperately needed by England. He’s been called upon to rescue an ever-collapsing batting line-up time after time, and even a whisper of an injury at the start of a marquee series was enough to predict a dire outcome.

Related Story: Ashes 2023: Moeen Ali confirmed at No.3, James Anderson replaces Ollie Robinson for Old Trafford Test

In the 2019 Ashes series, his calf strain on day one preceded a torturous Test match at Edgbaston. While he wasn’t the sole reason for England’s annihilation there, his injury was symbolic of it. Moments of individual brilliance meant that series ended in a respectable scoreline, but the dependable comfort of Anderson with the new ball in his grasp was sorely missing.

Most tellingly over the last few years, it’s been the times where England’s want for him has faded that most clearly show how much he has been needed.

When he was left out of the first Test at Brisbane in 2021 in anticipation of the bright lights at Adelaide, his absence again set the tone. Whether he would have made any difference to the result of that Test is irrelevant, but that his omission was considered a crucial moment in the series is significant.

It was a similar story when Anderson and Stuart Broad were again left out for the West Indies tour which followed it. While Andrew Strauss may have been desperate to get new blood into a side that looked more stale and more broken by the innings, the thumping loss in the Caribbean was enough to vindicate cries for both to be brought back. Anderson was still undeniably needed.

Those years under Root saw Anderson at his best as the standout in an underperforming team. Of bowlers who have taken more than 60 wickets since 2017, only Kyle Jamieson has done so at a lower average than him. No seamer has more five-fors in that time, and only Broad and Stokes have played more matches.

When England needed him most, he was their crutch. When he was taken away, their wobbles became more pronounced.

However, the Stokes era has brought about a remarkable change in team circumstances. Anderson is no longer part of an underperforming team. But up until this summer, his performances haven’t wavered.

Before this Test, only Broad had more wickets than him since Stokes took over, and his average remained steady at 22.24. He was superb in Pakistan. That England could rely on him and Ollie Robinson on slow unfriendly pitches went a long way to helping them secure that series win.

But everything changed when the Ashes started. Anderson has looked like the least threatening option in every England seam attack he’s been part of in this series. He hasn’t bowled particularly badly, but his figures aren’t totally misleading. Mark Wood and Chris Woakes have made the biggest mark on this series, with Broad and Robinson close behind. Josh Tongue earned praise at Lord’s and looked like England’s most dangerous prospect there at times. All of which leaves Anderson in a difficult position.

The Headingley Test match was the first time in many years Anderson was left out on merit alone. There was no outpouring of demand for his return at Old Trafford. If anything. there was caution not to cave into sentimentality in his selection when the Ashes were on the line.

Related Story: Ashes 2023: England announce 14-man squad for Old Trafford Test

At 40, you’re not allowed a bad series. You don’t get the luxury of a couple of mediocre games being given the benefit of the doubt. As Nasser Hussain pointed out on the Sky coverage this morning, many have been trying to retire Anderson for years. But now seems the point where his exit might be most comfortable on all sides. With other options outperforming him and a finally firing batting line-up, that process has been made easier than at any point in the past.

Stokes made it abundantly clear in the run-up to this Test, however, that he still wanted Anderson leading his attack. The ovation he received from the crowd on taking Marsh’s wicket showed they are still hungry for him too. But not at all costs. It’s Anderson at his best they want, zipping past the bat and making breakthroughs under cloudy skies.

There’s a Test match series in India waiting six months down the line if Anderson wants it. Realistically he will continue to play as long as he wants to. Another series win in the toughest conditions cricket has to offer will surely be a huge carrot. He won’t go for many runs – he has been the most economical bowler on either side this series – and the odd wicket here and there can be a valuable return in those conditions.

But now, his Test match addiction should be greater than England’s to him. Where taking out Anderson was once derided as a solution, this summer it was accepted as sensible. That dam is hard to unbreak.

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