LAST summer, I flew into London from the US, bursting with excitement at the prospect of watching England annihilate South Africa at Lord’s with their thrilling new “Bazball” style of cricket.
Unfortunately, my ticket was for day four, and by the time I landed at lunchtime on day three, England were in desperate trouble.
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“I’ve just flown 5,500 miles from Los Angeles specifically to be at Lord’s tomorrow for Day 4 of the Test match,” I tweeted dispiritedly as our batsmen continued to come and go with alarming speed. “There may not be a Day 4.”
There wasn’t.
It was South Africa who annihilated England in just three days, leaving me in a state of bitter disappointment at both missing out on my favourite sporting event of the year, and at the apparent abrupt end of Bazball as the brave new world of England cricket.
But late that Friday night, I received a text message from England captain Ben Stokes containing a copy of my tweet and the words: “There will be days when you come back on Day 4 to watch us play and we will make it worth your trip… trust me on that Piers… Stokesy.”
I was amazed that he’d taken the trouble to send that on a night when he’d have been feeling even more dejected than me.
It also said so much about the character of a man whose dedication to winning, entertaining and pleasing fans is so intense he makes Pep Guardiola look a bastion of serenity by comparison.
“Ben,” I replied, “I’ve never enjoyed watching England cricket more than under your leadership.
“It’s a thrilling ride and I’ll happily take the odd wobble for the sheer excitement and audacity that your team plays with, and though my cricket-loving head is gutted to miss my favourite day of the sporting calendar, my liver will be very grateful… go get ’em at Manchester.”
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Stokes and his scintillating side duly went and got ’em as England destroyed South Africa by an innings at Old Trafford and by nine wickets at The Oval to win the series 2-1.
It was a remarkable turnaround that made the whole cricket world sit up and take notice of this Bazball revolution — named after coach Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum, whose relentless attacking mindset mirrors that of his captain.
Now the duo are facing their toughest challenge yet with an Ashes series against new world Test champions Australia that promises to be one of the greats.
And although it will undoubtedly be a very tough, combative few weeks, I’m certain that England will emerge victorious.
Why so sure?
Because Stokes and his team are playing the game at such an unprecedented level of speed, power and aggression that I don’t believe any other country can live with them.
Yes, Australia have some seriously good fast bowlers and a world-class spinner in Nathan Lyon, and they’ll have all sorts of carefully thought-out plans for how to combat Bazball.
But as Mike Tyson said: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
And England’s middle order of Root, Brook, Stokes and Bairstow is the most dangerous punching machine in Test cricket, each one of them capable of winning a match on their own.
As for our bowling, it’s undeniably a blow that Jofra Archer and Jack Leach are both out of the series with injuries but Mark Wood, who wasn’t picked for Edgbaston but will play some part down the line, is as quick as any of the Aussies and Moeen Ali is a natural Bazball cricketer with ball and bat.
And those magnificent old warhorses Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad remain ferociously competitive, often unplayable predators on English wickets which turn the Australian batsmen into hairless Samsons when the ball nibbles around.
On paper, the two teams are so evenly matched that even England’s 2005 Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan won’t be drawn on a prediction.
But mere stats don’t tell the real story of this England team, which has won 11 of 13 Tests under Stokes’ captaincy, had the highest run-rate of any Test side in history in a calendar year in 2022 — and is going ever higher in 2023 — and hits the most sixes.
It’s the way we play, with such extraordinary freedom and flair, that gives us the edge.
I enjoyed a long lunch with Anderson and Broad last September and they were both so joyfully enthused by the uniquely liberating Bazball philosophy executed by Stokes’ bold, caution-to-the-wind captaincy that puts a premium on scoring fast runs and taking wickets even if they come at a cost.
The message to the players is clear. Be adventurous, never retreat and do everything at a pace that puts relentless pressure on the opposition.
No boring draws for these guys; it’s either glorious victory or go down trying.
So far, it’s been a stunningly successful strategy, and I love every second of it.
Ironically, one person who would have also absolutely loved Bazball is the late, great Shane Warne, who’d have done it himself had he ever been Australia’s Test captain.
And one of the reasons I’m so confident about England regaining The Ashes is that in 2005, a similar-strength Australia side came up short despite Warnie taking 40 wickets.
This Australia side doesn’t have a player like him who lived and breathed the buccaneering, daredevil spirit of Bazball every time he stepped on a cricket pitch.
They play conventional cricket now, whereas England play breathtakingly unconventional, critic-defying, dangerous and combative cricket.
That’s why I’m sure we’ll win — hopefully on day four of the final Test at The Oval, so that I can text Ben Stokes to congratulate him and thank him for keeping his word, even if my liver will pay the price!
