Four years to the day after England’s first Test under Brendon McCullum began against New Zealand at Lord’s, the start of a summer that saw players reach new heights and observers coin new terms, the latest incarnations of the two teams gathered in St John’s Wood as preparations intensified for the rematch. Once again, the series will commence amid talk of England adopting a fresh approach.
A Look Back at 2022
In 2022, New Zealand batted first in all three Tests, and in each match England chased down challenging targets to secure victory. The aggressive approach instigated by McCullum that summer was epitomized by Jonny Bairstow. In over a century of Test cricket prior to that year (excluding early years when such data was unrecorded), only three English players had amassed more than 300 runs in a series at a strike rate above 85. In the four years since, another ten have joined that list, topped by Bairstow against the Kiwis in 2022, when he blazed 394 runs at a strike rate of 120.12. That figure has been surpassed only once in cricket history, marginally, by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi against India in 2006 (330 runs at 121.32), though his contributions came largely in high-scoring draws on batting-friendly pitches.
McCullum on Evolution
“It was a really memorable series,” McCullum said on Tuesday. “We had a couple of big run chases, and we took them on, prepared to fail in pursuit of victory. From where we were when we took over, to chasing down those totals, was huge. Jonny’s performance and the style we played were what was required at that time. Now we need to evolve slightly—still recognise our identity but adapt. I’ve identified many areas we’re working on. New Zealand is a better team than when they came here a few years ago. They’ll do things well for long periods. Our job is to compete with that style and disrupt it when we’ve earned the right. It’s a fascinating series: two different styles, and we’ll see where we land.”
New Zealand’s Perspective
England’s post-Ashes reboot means that for the second time in two visits, New Zealand face uncertainty about England’s approach. “I don’t know if they’re calling it a new version of their play, but you’re always trying to assess where you are as a team and how to improve,” said Kane Williamson, who captained New Zealand in 2022 and is one of nine returning squad members under Tom Latham’s captaincy. “You want to keep evolving and get the best out of what you have, amidst changes over time. In 2022, it was a stark difference, one of the first series where they changed their play considerably, and there were three incredible games of cricket. It’s difficult—you can’t control what others do, but we focus on ourselves.”
Building for the Future
Last week, McCullum spoke about a desire to “finish the job we started” four years ago. At the most familiar of Test venues, with a largely familiar team and against familiar opponents—especially for the New Zealander—the question is what completion looks like. “You’re trying to build something long-term, sustainable, and successful, something that outlasts your time in the post,” he said. “I went to Beckenham the other day to see the Lions play South Africa A. That young talent is the future of English cricket, carrying the team forward for 15-16 years. Our job is to embed an identity so that when they get the opportunity, they can flourish on this stage. We’re trying to build a team that wins big series with an identity and style, but also is the smartest team in the world tactically.” The cricket McCullum encourages now may be slightly less bold than four years ago, but his ambitions remain vast.
