'BazBall' returns as England look to do the double over New Zealand

Dan Balliston

The reshaping of Test cricket continues

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are looking to become the fastest captain and coach to pick up ten test match victories as they travel to New Zealand to face the side that were the first team to fall victim to the new rage of cricket: ‘Bazball.’

Whilst this term has now turned into a satirical jest, disliked by McCullum, and joked about by players and pundits, the style of cricket that it refers to has revolutionised test cricket and seems to overcome every hurdle put in its way. Six test match victories out of a possible seven crowned a historic home summer for England.

A team who had won just one out of their last seventeen test matches, including a humiliating 4-0 Ashes defeat, convincingly outplayed New Zealand, India and South Africa as Stokes’ progressive and radical on-field tactics superbly backed up a now flourishing batting line-up, given the license to attack.

Jonny Bairstow, a man whose test match future lay in doubt, scored four sensational hundreds as