Day one of the first Ashes Test at Edgbastan was the first day of Ashes cricket between Australia and England since the sad passing of cricketing giant Shane Warne and I can’t help but feel his influence.
Warne passed away in March 2022 and in April 2022 his good mate Rob Key was announced as the Managing Director of England’s cricket.
You only have to listen to Key talk about Warne to know of Warne’s great influence on Key. Warne’s positivity, passion and boldness to create opportunities in life and in cricket may well have had some sway in Key’s decision to appoint Brendan McCullum England’s Test cricket coach in May 2022.
McCullum like Warne loved to play positive and attacking cricket and despite not having previously coached a team he’s rejuvenated England Test fortunes with what’s being termed ‘BazBall’.
Is it Bazball or Warnie?
Warne would have loved the way the England batters played on day one. I’m not convinced though he would’ve been happy with Australia’s strategy to counter Bazball.
Conservative field placements with a deep point and deep backward square allowed the English batters to get off strike far too easily. There was little opportunity to build pressure and it was a strategy to save boundaries from ball one. If it was Plan B or C I could understand,
For Ashes Test debutant Harry Brooks, it was a dream come true. He would’ve played over and over in his mind since his junior days about taking on the Australians. Padding up, walking out to bat, taking strike, his first ball and excitedly his first run.
For years we’ve been shown the way to seize the moments. Make batters feel uncomfortable in the hope they make a mistake.
A batter wanting to score their first run in an Ashes test I would assume is one of those moments.
Brooks came to the crease and the Aussies left deep point at deep point.
No hint of asking Brooks to make a mistake of playing a big shot to get off the mark. He played a simple defensive shot to point for one.
Would he have nervously played a big shot and being caught at point or in the slips?
We’ll never know but it would’ve been great to at least ask the question.
