Now that’s Ben Tertainment! NEIL
THE great ‘Ben-tertainers’ found a way to turn the screw at Headingley – and this time not with the bat.
The country’s cricket-lovers might have delighted in the flashing blades and joyful energy that have accompanied a new regime, but one crucial question remained unanswered.
How do you excite punters when you’re bowling? How can you put
‘bums on seats’ and engage a crowd?
Well, Ben Stokes & Co found a way.
Confidence with the bat has bred confidence with the ball – and the result is that England are again closing in on victory.
It all looked to be slipping away as the Black Caps moved ominously towards a challenging total.
England were struggling for inspiration. But from somewhere – just like with willow in hand – they found some.
Three quick wickets following a rain break in the final session have tipped the balance – proving that no situation is hopeless if belief reigns supreme.
The fresh approach fostered by Stokes and coach Brendon Mccullum has seeped into every pore of England’s squad – they no longer hope to take wickets, they believe they will.
Praise has rained down on the new skipper and his merry band over the past few weeks as they’ve rescued seemingly lost causes and chased down improbable scores.
It’s been enthralling fly-by-the-seatof-your-pants entertainment as they’ve smashed the ball to all parts, set record partnerships and discovered a true tyro in Jonny Bairstow. For the first hour at Headingley, it was party-time again.
The gangs on the Western Terrace
HEADINGLEY VERDICT
had barely wiped the froth from their first pint of John Smith’s when the ball started appearing among them, courtesy of a lovely cameo from Stuart Broad (below).
But the fun stopped all too soon and England faced a side who refused to follow their trend – settling instead for steadily accruing runs.
Snoring, boring. But effective.
The afternoon passed by without too much incident and the game was slipping away. But after a welcome cuppa at tea Stokes’s players returned with a renewed sense of purpose.
They were helped by a couple of lapses in concentration. Tom Latham unwittingly opened the door by nicking the first ball after tea.
But England’s players charged through it, seizing the moment with gusto. All of a sudden, there was a buzz about the ground.
Stokes, standing at mid-on, began gesturing with his hands to get the fans going – not that they needed much, judging by the lengthy beer snake that ran the entire length of one section.
As if by magic, every ball turned into an event.
Broad joined in. As did Bairstow, behind the wicket.
It pumped up the volume, raised the pressure and added to the occasion. It ended with three wickets falling for nine runs.
A brisk start this morning and England will be in business again.
The nation might not expect any longer – but the crucial difference is that they believe.
And so too, judging by their performances, do the players.