England Test cricket’s new era is all about attacking innovations and trying to score as many runs as quickly as possible. Under the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum who, as a batter for New Zealand, more often than not tried to bat in an attacking fashion, and captain Ben Stokes, England are trying to employ a brand of cricket that is rapid, aggressive, and fun to watch. In their last four matches, against New Zealand and then India, England have chased down targets greater than 250, and on 3 of the 4 occasions have done so by employing a style more recognizable in ODI or T20 cricket than in the five-day format. Beyond being highly entertaining, it has been extremely productive, with England winning all 4 of those matches quite comfortably.
The latest addition to ‘Bazball’, as it has been monikered after McCullum’s nickname, has been the replacement of the nightwatchman with the ‘nighthawk’ — a term which seems more suited to a superhero movie than a game of Test cricket, but also lines up with the fresh identity of England cricket.
Typically used when a wicket falls with very few overs of play remaining in a day, the nightwatchman has been a staple of Test cricket, used to protect frontline batters and ensure they come in when the situation is more suitable for them. England have in the recent past used Jack Leach for this role, including in the first innings of the Edgbaston Test. However, gone are the days of that conservative approach to Test cricket in England: Stuart Broad has referred to himself as the “official Nighthawk for England cricket” on his Instagram handle, and it is an innovation that both captain Stokes and coach McCullum are excited by.
Speaking in a press conference, Stokes said “He might get 30 off 10 balls or 0 from 1. We are looking at every situation we are going to find ourselves in and what the positive thing to do is. For example, we renamed what the nightwatchman is all about. We called it ‘Nighthawk.’ That was Broady. He was going out with half an hour left to play to try to literally slog. That’s where we are at the moment, it’s awesome.”
{{/usCountry}}Speaking in a press conference, Stokes said “He might get 30 off 10 balls or 0 from 1. We are looking at every situation we are going to find ourselves in and what the positive thing to do is. For example, we renamed what the nightwatchman is all about. We called it ‘Nighthawk.’ That was Broady. He was going out with half an hour left to play to try to literally slog. That’s where we are at the moment, it’s awesome.”
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