England’s approach has come in for significant criticism during the second Test against Australia at Lord’s, after they collapsed from 188-1 to 325 all out in a blaze of attacking strokes.
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Responding to Australia’s 416, something of a result for England after they had been 316-3, the hosts made their way to 188-1, and looked to be in a position to build a sizeable lead. Things looked even brighter for England after Nathan Lyon limped off with a calf injury that may rule him out of much of the series.
Australia opted to go with a short-ball ploy to test England’s patience and were rewarded in style. Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook all fell playing attacking strokes against bouncers. Jonny Bairstow chipped to mid-on, while Ollie Robinson nicked off coming down the track to Travis Head, and Stuart Broad missed a sweep against the same bowler. Only Ben Stokes, who ground away for 58 balls over 17, and No.10 Josh Tongue were out playing defensive strokes.
England have pioneered an attacking style of play under Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s stewardship, and it has largely had positive results. Before that duo took charge, they had won just one of their previous 17 Tests. Since then, they have won 11 out of 14. However, the nature of the collapse sparked fury among England’s fans, coming in for severe criticism from the experts too. With Australia 1-0 up in the series, many feared this could be an Ashes-losing passage of play.
“There’s a sense of shock around the ground,” said Sir Alastair Cook on Test Match Special. “We keep going back to that spell, how precious Test match runs and sessions are. We’ve all watched enough cricket, when you get in positions, it is so precious and you have to realise how precious that is and treasure it.”
“England clearly like losing,” said Michael Vaughan. “Yesterday they gifted Australia three wickets. They arrive on day three, the pitch is doing a bit more. Australia now know they are bowling to the tail.”
They will say they've played *this* way since the start of last summer, but that's bollocks and should be treated as such #Ashes
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) June 30, 2023
And without wishing to go full Boycott, you can’t playing an entertaining brand of cricket back in the dressing room.
— Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) June 30, 2023
Even allowing for the ego-driven nature of Bazball this is utterly brain-dead batting and when it affects Root then madness is upon us. Australia are without Lyon on a flat pitch, Green can only bowl so much & they can only do this for an hour or so. Madness! Bring back Boycott😉
— David Hopps (@DavidKHopps) June 29, 2023
Frustratingly tame dismissals when set from Harry Brook so far this series.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 30, 2023
What a deflating morning.
Doom mongers from last night largely proved correct. Hugely frustrating not to put more miles in the legs of the bowlers with Lyon crocked.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) June 30, 2023
There were some who attempted to offer rationalisations for England’s method, despite the carnage that unfolded.
A lot of people seem to think it’s time for England’s batters to go back to intelligently and smartly getting out nicking behind for 11 off 67 balls
— Daniel Brigham (@dan_brigham) June 30, 2023
The thing that makes my brain hurt though, is that the lad whose batted "properly" and "read the situation well" has got 17. And the lads who've got wrong have scored 98, 42, 10 and 50. And those numbers are bigger than 17. #Ashes
— Cameron Ponsonby (@cameronponsonby) June 30, 2023
Tricky isn’t it? Hard not to be frustrated by the kind of dismissals England have had to today. Equally, an unproven top three have put on 200 against the worlds best attack on a green(ish) one, and the fact they’re allowed to play stupid shots is a big part of that
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) June 29, 2023
Australia went to lunch on 12-0, leading by 103.
