Michael Vaughan claims his England side were playing ‘Bazball’ during their memorable Ashes series triumph of 2005.
The current England team have developed into an attacking and entertaining Test unit over the past year under the guidance of coach Brendan McCullum – nicknamed Baz – and captain Ben Stokes.
They head into this summer’s Ashes series, which begins at Edgbaston on Friday, confident of reclaiming the urn from Australia.
Former England skipper Vaughan can see similarities with the way his team approached the contest 18 years ago, remembering particularly the series-changing second Test at Birmingham.
England had been thrashed in the opener at Lord’s but bounced back in exhilarating style.
“I remember having a team meeting on the Tuesday night and I basically gave the players the freedom to go and be really aggressive with the bat,” said Vaughan, who was speaking in a new 10-part original podcast series from Global, Legends of the Ashes, which launches on Thursday.
“We have to be aggressive. I didn’t expect us to get 400 in, I think it was 80 (overs). Very much like the modern England thing, the Ben Stokes (way) – we were playing ‘Bazball’ in 2005 for that first day at Edgbaston.”
The day began in extraordinary fashion as Australia’s inspirational seamer Glenn McGrath injured his ankle when he trod on a stray ball during the warm-up and was forced to miss the game.
England scored 407 with 90 from Marcus Trescothick, 48 from Andrew Strauss and half-centuries from Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
Vaughan said: “You shouldn’t really celebrate great players being stretchered off at that time, but we were. Particularly Tres. He couldn’t believe his luck!”
Australia fought their way back into the contest but England snatched a tense and dramatic two-run victory in one of the great Test finishes on the fourth morning.
Vaughan said: “I don’t remember much about the celebration other than I’ve obviously seen the celebrations on TV and I’ve no idea why I jumped on Freddie Flintoff, I’ve no idea why I pulled his ears.
“You just do these stupid things when you’ve kind of come to the end of what was nearly four days of great cricket.”
:: Legends of The Ashes is a new 10-part Global Original podcast series launching on Global Player and all major audio platforms from Thursday, June 15.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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