London, June 3: The past is fiercely protected at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The Long Room, the slope of the field, the bell before play, dress codes and honours boards.
But inside this normally comforting time capsule, England will try to escape its recent past when it begins its first home Test of the year against New Zealand on Thursday.
An occasion that should herald a fresh start is enveloped by a stench of dissatisfaction lingering from England’s humiliating tour to Australia.
A team that was groomed for two years to end Australia’s grip on the Ashes was crushed in 11 days before Christmas; tied for the quickest Ashes series defeat in 104 years. England’s slack preparation and wrong tactical approach were aggravated by reports of excessive drinking under relentless local media scrutiny.
None of the leadership group paid a price. Director of cricket Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes survived a review of the Ashes tour. That didn’t go down well with team supporters, and McCullum understood.
Fixes since the Ashes include reimposing a curfew and hiring more backroom staff, including fielding coach Sarah Taylor, the wicketkeeping great and first woman to coach an England men’s Test team.
Nothing banishes a putrid odour like the sweet smell of success, and England can take heart from its response to a similarly dire state in 2022 when McCullum, a former New Zealand captain, took charge.
England had lost the Ashes 4-0 in Australia and lost to the West Indies 1-0 in the Caribbean, prompting Joe Root to quit as captain. New Zealand arrived and Bazball was launched; England scored 279, 299 and 296 in consecutive second innings to sweep the series.
England has run out of patience with top-order batters Zac Crawley and Ollie Pope and replaced them with Durham opener Emilio Gay and Jacob Bethell, who scored his maiden century in January in the last Ashes Test in Sydney. Gay has three hundreds in the ongoing County Championship. He’ll be a dual international after playing three Twenty20s for Italy last year.
Ollie Robinson will try to be the confrontational new-ball bowler England consistently lacked in Australia during the Ashes. Robinson has an excellent record of 76 wickets in 20 Tests but was dropped in 2024 because his fitness and attitude. But the captaincy of Sussex this season has matured him, and he’s been recalled while Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse are sidelined. (AP)
