Exhilarating England kick off new era of cricket

Under the guidance of McCullum and new skipper Ben Stokes, this appears a side reborn, writes Ben Burrows

The third Test at Headingley was no less exhilarating than the two that proceeded it (Getty)

“If you can’t enjoy a series like this then what do you play for?” Joe Root does lots of things well and it’s hard to sum up the start of England’s new era any better than the former skipper did.

Root’s words came after he was once again key as England bludgeoned their way to victory in the third Test at Headingley and with it a 3-0 series whitewash over world Test champions, New Zealand.

This bold new vision for English cricket has been emphatically shown in three back-to-back-to-back thrilling run chases of 277, 299 and 296 with eye-catching, aggressive cricket thrust to the fore.

This third one was no less exhilarating than the two that proceeded it over this first month of “Bazball” – the moniker the hugely positive and proactive brand of cricket former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum has instilled in this side is known by.

Ollie Pope’s immaculate 82 and an unbeaten 86 from Root saw England serenely coast towards their target before Jonny Bairstow, the hero of Trent Bridge a fortnight ago, added the closing fireworks with an equal-parts brilliant and ballistic 71 off just 44 deliveries in front of his home crowd.

It all meant an almost routine victory wrapped up in a little over an hour on Monday and with it a first win to nil in a series since 2011. It really is some turnaround for a team that was so comprehensively outplayed by Australia and the West Indies in back-to-back series defeats just a few short months ago.

Under the guidance of McCullum and new skipper Ben Stokes, this appears a side reborn with optimism sky high for what could now be to come.

Next up is India on Friday and the final Test from the Covid-postponed series a year ago. Rohit Sharma and his men could scarcely be facing more different and more transformed opposition.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sports editor