Ben Stokes trusts child's play to deliver Ashes assault
- Tim Ellis
- 15 June 2023
Tim Ellis discusses why England attack dogs Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will calmly stay true to their aggressive approach in the Ashes series against Australia. But will it work?
When England lost heavily to South Africa at Trent Bridge in 2017, Michael Vaughan was particularly scathing of Joe Root's team:
"Maybe it's a lack of respect about what the game is. They have this approach of attack, attack, attack. There is no thought or feeling of seeing off a bowler or wearing a team down," Vaughan said.
Remember those silly traditional values of Test cricket? Trott? Cook? Trench creasefare? Pah. That's old school.
Root's original commitment to positive cricket as skipper is rarely spoken about in a nuanced light. Despite some wonderful moments under his reign, the promise to not "go in our shells" was a little hollow.
That's exactly what happened on that fateful 2021 tour of Australia. Even Ben Stokes scratched around to no good intent.
That's simply not going to happen under Stokes and his attack dog accomplice Brendon McCullum. If the wheels fall off England's chariot, it will be because they are committed to the charge of staying true to thy self rather than lining up like lemmings at the cliff edge. That's the plan, anyway.
At the moment, eleven wins from 13 Tests is a success. In one of those two defeats at Lord's last year, the Durham man said: "'It was an off game for us, and that's absolutely fine." The sense of calm in those eleven words was cool.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Stokes' captaincy is his relatability, his everyman approachability.
For somebody who took a break from the game for mental health issues, the all-rounder has gone through experiences that are the polar and chilly opposite of that 2019 Headingley performance.
The 32-year-old is as grounded as can be expected for someone that straddles the line between heroic deeds and very human qualities.
His team genuinely seem to love what they do and how they do it. If it doesn't work, there are no recriminations. As Moeen Ali put it: "I spoke to Baz [McCullum] and he said he's not bothered about how I perform."
The Ashes matter. Fans and pundits alike are all over it. Yet Stokes goes on the telly to claim that "result" is at the bottom of his list of important things.
It's a case of following processes rather than focusing entirely on the end game. Let the players sing their own tune within the team directive. McCullum has talked about finding the inner child that first loved the game.
In the modern world, identity matters more than ever and England are going to have fun even if it goes wrong for the outside world.
Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson feel like big kids again - albeit ones that can't do sleepovers for all five Tests. The pressure is on but, cleverly, the McStokes partnership is taking some of the sting out of it.
One suspects the Australians have been waiting for this opportunity to crush the feel-good factor of England's rise under new management.
'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face' might be the line coming from Pat Cummins' dressing room.
Ben Duckett doesn't leave the ball. Good luck with that against the Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood axis. Scott Boland's mesmeric line and length make him a less grumpy Angus Fraser with extra zing. Nathan Lyon is the only truly world-class spinner in the series. Steve Smith batted for aeons again last week.
The only evidence that matters is what happens on the pitch and how fast England can drive the car without losing control of the steering.
Stokes and Ben Foakes showed this England can rebuild first before forcing the issue when they came together against a good Proteas attack last summer at Old Trafford.
Similarly, when it looked like they would fall over their shoelaces in the helter-skelter at Wellington in February, Root and Stokes (strike rate of 28) ground it out to set up that wonderful photo finish which brought the two teams grinning together at the denouement.
This is the Ashes, not New Zealand's friendly fire. One suspects there will be more aggro than chinwags. That's the way the clash with an old enemy works.
If Bazball can stand and deliver in the face of a world-class pace attack, the urn may be returned with interest.
If they don't, so what? That's show business.
