Ashes 2023: England’s BazBall approach is coming under fire again

After getting roasted by Australia, it appears even England has it out for cocky seamer Ollie Robinson after he failed to put his money where his mouth is on day one.

England’s blustering brand of cricket, tipped to put the Aussies to the sword this Ashes series, has come under fire again after the first day at Lord’s.

Star batsman Steve Smith’s unbeaten 85 was the centrepiece of Australia’s impressive 339-5 on the opening day.

But off-spinner Joe Root, better known as the number one-ranked batsman in Test cricket, took two wickets in four balls late in the day to check the progress of Ashes-holders Australia, 1-0 up in the five-match series after a thrilling two-wicket win at Edgbaston last week.

Australia were in command at 316-3, despite being sent into bat by England captain Ben Stokes in overcast conditions and on a green tinged-pitch.

In reality, England’s quicks had failed on the green-top, prompting a barrage of criticism.

BazBall is clearly bringing more headaches than it’s solving this series.

England’s quicks failed on the green-top, prompting a barrage of criticism.

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At stumps Root, the only spinner in the attack after England dropped Moeen Ali, had figures of 2-19 from eight overs.

English fans weren’t impressed, questioning why the home side’s four-pronged pace attack failed to capitalise on bowler-friendly conditions after sending Australia into bat.

The aggressive approach, which skipper Stokes has made no apologies for, clearly made England complacent in electing to bowl first. Now, they find themselves on the back foot again with four days to go.

Wisden’s Ben Gardener penned an article titled “Nothing about England makes sense, least of all how they are keeping up with Australia”, slamming the veteran pace attack for allowing Warner and Khawaja to see off the new ball.

The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown and Nick Hoult specifically lashed Ollie Robinson, who did not bowl with the “same ferocity as his mouth”.

“Here was his time to deliver a savage riposte ... Sadly, he followed his florid outburst towards Usman Khawaja with a bowling display that could most kindly be described as monochrome.”

Hoult said day one was Bazball’s worst day, which “arrived at exactly the worst possible time to leave the Ashes slipping away.”

“England were off the pace when it mattered most, there was a lack of intensity and imagination,” he wrote.

“The most decisive hand played by an Englishman was Jonny Bairstow picking up a Just Stop Oil protester as if he was tucking his bat under his arm...”

I don’t enjoy saying this…but our attack is looking rather toothless for what is ultimately good bowling conditions today.#Ashes2023

— Stuart Meaker (@SMeaker18) June 28, 2023

Incoming cricket rant.
Bazball. Yes, it's been great I don't deny it. However, it seems have tipped over into something else, the blasé attitude to it all is annoying me, the slack fielding and ill discipline with the ball today was borderline arrogant. Harsh lesson incoming.

— Woz ☠️ (@wozaboxa) June 28, 2023

Get the feeling that as soon as the penny drops for some of these England players that a large percentage of BazBall is a huge nonsense, you feel like it’ll probably fall apart quite quickly.

— DAN (@YidVids) June 28, 2023

Bazball has changed perceptions of how Test cricket is played but the old saw that if you put a team in you should bowl them out for under 250 has been well and truly ignored…..

— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) June 28, 2023

Former England skippers Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain also weighed in on the day one display.

Strauss said Root’s cameo with the ball was a blessing for the side, who would be going into day two with just three wickets had he not produced some late gold.

“Those two wickets from Root at the end of the day rescued England from it being a truly awful day to just a bad one,” Strauss told Sky Sports at stumps.

“Australia dealt superbly with the first hour where the conditions were very much in England’s favour and very much earned the right to get on top in the second half of the day. They had a fantastic day.”

Hussain went after their efforts in the field, attacking the Poms’ “sloppy” hands after letting through a few chances to take control of the game.

“I thought England were a bit sloppy in those two hours; there was a dropped catch, that other half-chance to Joe Root – they needed that wicket,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.

“I just thought they were a bit sloppy, and they absolutely needed that Khawaja wicket.”

Australia left the ground with the upper hand on day one.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen was also hurling barbs.

The Sky Sports commentator was beside himself at the tea break with Australia on 2/190 after a toothless spate of fast bowling.

“It’s been shambolic. Absolutely shambolic,” Pietersen said during the tea break.

“You have overhead conditions, you have a wicket that suits your bowlers and you’ve got bowlers running in at 78, 79, 80 mile an hour.”

“Now it’s one thing walking in, swanning around saying ‘this is a wonderful team to play in, we’re creating the best environment’,” he said.

“But this is not Ashes cricket. I’ve played Ashes cricket. I’ve played 30 matches against Australia.

“The Australians here were outside to bat before the English bowlers. The English bowlers this morning should have been on those stairs saying ‘we want to bowl at Australia, we’re desperate to bowl at Australia’. These two Australian batters are out there waiting for England.”

Fast bowler Josh Tongue, recalled in place of Moeen, showed promise in removing Australia left-handed openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner, who made a valuable 66, in a return of 2-88 in 18 overs.

Tongue showed promise as the only bowler to regularly hit 140km/h, as Australia capitalised on the lower-pace seamers.

Fans and commentators alike are questioning why the home side’s four-pronged pace attack failed to capitalise on bowler-friendly conditions after sending Australia into bat.

But the day belonged to Australia, with No 3 Marnus Labuschagne, who made a useful 47, telling Sky Sports: “You’re going to take that (total) when you get sent in on a wicket that we thought had a fair bit in it.” The match was briefly halted before the second over when two Just Stop Oil protesters ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the environmental pressure group’s trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch.

But dashing left-hander Travis Head, scoring at better than a run-a-ball, then charged down the pitch only to be beaten by a sharply turning Root delivery with Jonny Bairstow, whose wicketkeeping had proved fallible in Birmingham, completing an excellent stumping.

Head was out for 77 following a stand of 118 with Smith where England were given a taste of their own ‘Bazball’ medicine.

Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried them off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards.

A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield, with the police making three arrests.

England’s aggressive approach had come under scrutiny in Birmingham, but missing several chances was a bigger factor in their defeat.

On Wednesday, Stuart Broad looked to have dismissed Warner, then on 20, yet again in an Ashes clash, only for fourth slip Ollie Pope, who later went off injured with a shoulder injury, to drop a two-handed catch.

Josh Tongue showed promise as the only bowler to regularly hit 140km/h, as Australia capitalised on the lower-pace seamers.

Warner cashed in with a 66-ball fifty completed when he pulled Tongue, in just his second Test, for six.

But off what became the last ball before lunch Tongue bowled Khawaja, playing no shot, to end a stand of 73.

Warner also fell to Tongue, bowled between bat and pad by a ball that cut back sharply off the pitch.

England for all Australia’s playing and missing, did not help themselves by giving away 36 runs in extras, including 12 no-balls.

Smith stuck Stuart Broad through the covers for two fours off successive balls then successfully overturned a caught-behind decision off the next delivery on his way to a 102-ball fifty.

Day two begins tonight at 8pm (AEST).

Originally published as Ashes 2023: England’s BazBall approach is coming under fire again