The word ‘Bazball’ dominated the first Ashes Test but there will be plenty of casual cricket fans who are still unfamiliar with the term.

England raced to 393 runs on day one at Edgbaston, with captain Ben Stokes declaring before the end of play in order to bowl at Australia, typifying the new attitude surrounding the Test side. A classic back-and forth Test match ensued before rain eventually subsided on day five to enable Australia to chase down 281 in a dramatic final day.

The term ‘Bazball’ stems from the nickname of England coach Brendon McCullum, following the appointment of the former New Zealand captain in May 2022. Shortly before McCullum’s arrival, Stokes had replaced Joe Root as captain and Rob Key had been named the managing director of the England team. The second Ashes Test gets underway on June 28 at Lord's.

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What is ‘Bazball’?

‘Bazball’ is used as a catch-all term for the fearless playing style that England have adopted during Stokes’ captaincy. Incorporating elements of the country’s success in both the one-day format and T20, England have drastically increased the run rate traditionally associated with Test match cricket, as well as successfully chasing high runs totals.

England had won only one of 17 Tests, prior to Stokes taking over as captain, and have since recorded 11 victories in their last 14 matches. Under McCullum and Stokes, England successfully chased more than 250 runs in each of their first four Tests; and their impressive run rate was on full display as England raced to 506 after just 75 overs on the opening day against Pakistan in December 2022.

There was plenty of discussion around England’s decision to declare after 78 overs against Australia on day one but this was the fifth time Stokes had declared in the opening innings during 14 Test matches as skipper. Seeking to avoid draws, the team have also replaced the traditional idea of a nightwatchman with a nighthawk, designed to allow a lower-order batsman to score quick-fire runs towards the end of a day’s play.

What has been said about ‘Bazball’?

Brendon McCullum: "For us, it was a matter of trying to bring a bit of enjoyment back, try and bring the fans in to make sure they're enjoying Test cricket, and hopefully provide a bit more relevance to a game which has probably been under a little bit of pressure of late. That was the big goal and it will continue to be so moving forward."

Ben Stokes: “Looking at every situation we are going to find ourselves in, we’re always looking at what the positive thing to do is,” Stokes said.

Speaking about the nighthawk idea and Pakistan’s Rishabh Pant’s quick-fire 146 against England, Stokes added: “That’s what we want to do – we want to create a legacy of Test cricket. We have done that in white-ball cricket and we have seen other teams follow in the white-ball footsteps.

“The more we see players like (Rishabh Pant) succeed, the more the negativity around that type of Test cricket will eventually die out because it is so exciting to watch, because cricket is an entertainment business. Yes, you want results but you want people to enjoy watching a spectacle. Yes, cricket has always been a spectacle but it’s about doing it differently now.”