A tribute to New Zealand

Now that the first half of the summer is over and the Australians have landed, it's easy to look forward and turn all attention to the Ashes series looming on the horizon. Instead though, I'm going to take a moment to look back. New Zealand's tour of England has been one of the most enjoyable series in recent memory, with brilliant games of cricket being played across all three formats. 

When New Zealand arrived, English cricket seemed at a crossroads again. A series lost in the West Indies and a shambles at the World Cup had seen Peter Moores depart for a second time, and with the Pietersen saga rumbling on the relationship with the fans had grown even weaker. The progress made at the end of last summer seemed forgotten, enthusiasm among the public almost disappeared. It turned out that New Zealand were the perfect remedy for England's ills, doing more to heal the relationship with the fans than the ECB could dream of doing themselves. Two thrilling test matches, finishing one apiece, that left everyone crying out for a third. An ODI series that went right down to the wire, both teams playing aggressive, attacking cricket and lifting run rates to new heights. A Twenty20 not so one-sided as the scorecard may actually suggest. Everywhere they went, New Zealand lit up the grounds and filled the seats. 

And the players, how the players were brilliant. Brendon McCullum and his captaincy, going on the attack from the very beginning. How refreshing it is to see a captain, always looking for the wickets and not letting up, really making things happen. And with the bat the team would follow his example - in the second test their run rate was up around five throughout. McCullum may have not had the most prolific tour run-wise, but his influence was clear all around. It may not have been the traditional way of playing test cricket, but it sure made an impact. There were the bowlers, Trent Boult and Tim Southee, often attacking as a pair that swung the ball either way. Ross Taylor, a constant nemesis for England in the ODI series. Luke Ronchi, always taking the attack to England straight away, be it an ODI or his test debut. Even Mitchell Santner, just 19 years old and in his first series, made his impact felt, taking a Rashid over for 28 to transform New Zealand's innings in the fourth ODI; taking 3/31 in the last match to nearly bring his team the series. There were so many individual performances that I can't list them all.  

Most of all though, there was Kane Williamson. I feel like he's all I'm writing about at the moment, such has been his impact on this tour. He was just a machine, like a perfect batting robot had been invented to grind England down. Everything just looked so effortless, playing all the shots with such ease, especially in the ODI series where he scored at over a run a ball and would just rack up the runs before anyone could notice. There were no flaws, no obvious ways to get him out - when he was dismissed for a fifty it felt like a surprise. Still only 24 years old, Williamson already has 17 international centuries. We will be watching him score countless more for many, many more years yet. 

The 'spirit of cricket' is often just a myth, but New Zealand made it a reality. There was no sledging, none of the mouthing off that followed the series against India last summer. I'm not against all the aggression and at times I think it's great, but I also just feel that it can detract from the game, be too much of a distraction - as was indeed the case with the whole Anderson/Jadeja saga that stole far too much attention last summer. New Zealand showed there's no need for all of that, playing their cricket with maximum intent but always being the first to applaud their opposition. There's no right or wrong way to play the game, but it was refreshing to see and so endearing, the sort of attitude that gives them their reputation as being everybody's second-favourite international side. 

Simply put, it was a brilliant tour all around. For all that had gone on in England beforehand, all the off-field drama, New Zealand came around and helped put the cricket back on centre stage. They made it the main event, the one that people want to see. The tour may be over, but their impact will still be felt.

Oh New Zealand, please come back soon. 

Turning the corner

Based on their previous ODI displays this year, the thought of England winning a series over the World Cup finalists would have seemed laughable. Someone saying England would be playing a style of aggressive, no-fear cricket, capable of scoring 400 or chasing down 350, might be thought to come from some strange parallel universe. And yet it was real. More sudden transformations are hard to come by.

The whole series has been an absolute joy from both sides, a glorious festival of one day cricket right from the word go. While the scores were enough to make bowlers weep - batting records broken all around - it was hard to complain about an even contest between bat and ball when there were innings like these. England had Joe Root, scoring two centuries only to be overshadowed by flashier innings from his teammates; Jos Buttler, whose extraordinary abilities can barely be described; Eoin Morgan, back to his best after his own horror year; and Jonny Bairstow, only in for one game but practically winning that by himself. New Zealand had probably had the best of them all in Kane Williamson, a man who seems to have no weakness, a robot who dismissing for just 50 felt like a great achievement. There too was Ross Taylor, scoring his own two centuries and with the two forming a partnership it seemed impossible to break, both just making it all look so easy. McCullum may have had a quiet series, but it didn't stop a mountain of runs being racked up by either side. The run rate for the entire series reached a massive 7.15, a total of 3151 runs scored across the five games. 

Of course, it all had to come down to the final game; the festival had to have a grand finale. And it was finally a moment where the bowlers fared somewhat better - after four matches where first innings scores exceeded 300 every time, New Zealand could only reach 283/9 (and that helped by some lusty blows from the lower order). The rain came, reducing England's total to 192 from 26. While the run rate had risen, the total still looked very gettable, especially considering the standards of the series. But for all the talk of a 'new England', a sign of the old remained - a good, old fashioned collapse. They are a team on a learning curve, and here the balance between 'positive' and 'reckless' veered too far towards the latter. Yet rather than going into their shells, they came back fighting. With Buttler absent through injury two other young wicketkeepers took the spotlight, Bairstow (83*) and Billings (41) getting the recovery underway in a partnership of 80. And then Bairstow carried England home. He may not have been in the original squad, but he stole the show and with it the series for England. 

It's been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for England, even in defeat still putting in the kind of performances everyone had been craving. The public, too, responded - after the first match the grounds were practically sellouts. The fresh mindset has been clear to see - long gone is that team that looked so afraid at the World Cup, inhibited and wary; now they are going and enjoying themselves, going for their shots and just attacking. It got them into trouble at times, this final match and the third particularly - 288/6 becoming 302 all out with five overs remaining - but at the same time it was good to see them really going for it, showing that self belief and not settling for a lesser score. Sure, it won't always come off, but they're a young team and will learn from experience. Obviously they haven't turned into world beaters overnight and we mustn't forget that, but even when there are times when they do frustrate us (and no doubt, there will be many), with this new approach it will always be worth watching.

Personally, I can't remember the last time I so looked forward to seeing England playing ODI cricket. It had felt like other teams were sprinting forwards, and England were standing still. Always the same outdated tactics, and players making waves on the domestic scene who offered that something different always being left on the sides. But this series has been a joy to watch with both teams. New Zealand have continued to play that attacking cricket that has brought them so much recent success, and it seemed to spur England on to greater heights too, bringing them into the modern age. It feels a shame that there's now only one match left to play on this tour after what we've been treated to over the past month. Every single game has left us wanting more. Long may this new age continue. 

The start of the 'new new' era

England's love affair with test cricket returned. Though it was just an 18-day gap between this test and the last in the West Indies, the outlook couldn't look much different. For all the drama off the pitch, the further damaged relationship between the ECB and the fans, sacked coaches and possibly players; the past five days proved that the cricket will always take centre stage. And in what a fashion.

Though after the first hour of the very first day, it looked like the misery was only set to continue. New Zealand showed straight away why they've had so much success over the past year, the fast bowling trio of Boult, Southee, and debutant Henry demolishing England's top order. There wasn't much the batsmen could do as they fell to 30/4, the top four crumbling away in the space of five overs to an excellent spell of bowling. The horror of Barbados was repeating itself. Yet rather than going into their shells, England fought back through Joe Root (98) and Ben Stokes (92). It was brilliant, counterattacking cricket - Root looking on top of the world with the bat in hand; Stokes scoring at nearly a run a ball, and a world away from the man who bagged a pair in his last test at Lord's. Both ultimately fell just short of their centuries, but they were innings that gave England hope. They could have as good as lost the match in that opening session but, along with innings from Buttler (67) and Ali (58), England recovered to a total of 389. Perhaps not an exceptional score, but certainly an exceptional recovery. And already the match had come alive, just one innings in.

But England still weren't on top, and New Zealand did even better when it was their turn with the bat. Martin Guptill scored 70 on his return to the test side after two years, Tom Latham scored 59. And dismissing those two in quick succession only brought Kane Williamson (132) and Ross Taylor (62) to the crease. If Joe Root can be listed as one of the batsmen who will surely be lighting up international cricket for the next ten years, then Kane Williamson is right there alongside him. He just looked in control from the word go, playing the ball late, finding the middle - and if there were ever any edges, he played with hands so soft it could never be a chance. Only 24 years old, it was already his tenth test century. And it was the cornerstone of the innings as New Zealand racked up 523, with further runs also coming from McCullum (a 38-ball 42) and Watling (61).

England had a 134-run deficit to overturn, and when Bell fell in the first over of the fourth day with England still 60 adrift, New Zealand looked a long way ahead. In that first hour of the day, they again bowled beautifully. It was a theme of the match - whilst the ball could do a lot, once the batsmen settled they could really take charge; and run rates throughout were close to four an over. What England needed though was a rock, and after struggling for so long, they can really say that their captain is back in business. Alastair Cook is a man that does best when he can lead from the front, and that is exactly what he did. He often played second fiddle as Root (84) and Stokes (101) were in the runs again, but really that is his job. Bat the whole day, be patient, and allow those players to express themselves whilst quietly accumulating a massive score. While Stokes rightly stole the headlines, Cook batted the whole day, an innings of 162.

But there's no denying that this match belonged to Ben Stokes. If his first innings 92 was a brilliant display of counterattacking cricket, then his century in the second innings was even better. 101 from just 92 balls. The fastest test century at Lord's. Stokes first really made his mark on the 2013/4 Ashes tour, but there had been more downs that ups since. It was here that he truly announced himself to the world, put his name down as a superstar. England have a love affair with all rounders, one that can perhaps put too much pressure on anyone who shows promise with bat and ball. Straight away they can be tagged as 'the new Botham', or 'the new Flintoff'. Stokes may be in a similar mould - able to hit it big and bowl it fast, and with a fiery personality to match - but instead he can just be 'the first Stokes'. There will still be ups and downs ahead - and chances are that he will be a player who frustrates England fans for many years to come, just as much as he pulls it out of the bag. But how England have needed that character - the one who empties the bars, the one lights up the crowd, that can turn a match around. Stokes has that bit of magic about him. And this felt like the start of something.

The match was turned on its head. New Zealand had 345 to chase - not an impossible task with their ability and firepower - or had the best part of a day to survive. But England were ascendant - both openers were soon dismissed for ducks in the first two overs, with Taylor following in the sixth for 8. Broad was back bowling near his best, Anderson was closing in on 400 test wickets. And even when New Zealand looked to be settling in again with Williamson, Stokes struck. He couldn't be kept out of the game. Williamson and McCullum were gone in consecutive deliveries, and New Zealand were 61/5; England truly on the charge now. Watling (59) and Anderson (67) did provide resistance, but England came through. A brilliant five days finished with a 124 run win for England, a result unthinkable an hour in on day one.

What a game test cricket is. This match had everything - memorable individual performances, real strong shows from both sides, the fight backs, beautiful knocks with the bat and spells with the ball, neither team ever ready to give in along the way, sell out crowds throughout, and all results possible on the final day. Both sides put their names on that famous honours board - Williamson and Boult (taking 5/85 in England's second innings, after four in their first) for New Zealand, Stokes and Cook for England; both sides had players making their debuts in a match they will never forget.

But, as an England fan, what came out of this match most of all was hope. While they've been steadily improving over this past year as a test side - the setback in the West Indies aside - this still felt like a special moment. A moment they needed, the moment to show that they can play that exciting, attacking cricket. To show that when they get put in difficult situations - as they were more than once in this match - that they can come out fighting as the best teams do, rather than meekly surrendering. A moment where they could reconnect with the fans, after all the recent drama with the ECB. And to show that they have players to capture the public's imagination, players who can become heroes. This match saw the clouds start to lift, and the future start to look bright once again.