Success amid chaos is pure Bazball but it is not enough to inspire belief in McCullum | Andy Bull

While England’s head coach has magic in his man-management, he may have run out of time with this team

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, England were bowled out for 141 by New Zealand at Lord’s. It was their very first Test innings under their new leadership team of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, and because the end is always there in the beginning, they went down to a succession of hard-handed, happy-go-lucky attacking shots and unsteady defensive strokes. That night, McCullum spoke to the team about the way he wanted them to play. When he was done, James Anderson said “we all felt 10 feet tall”. Three days later, they chased down 277 to win in the fourth innings.

It was the spark that started the fire, the first in a series of glorious victories. A week later they made 299 to win at Trent Bridge, then 296 to win at Headingley, they beat India by seven wickets after scoring 378 in the fourth innings at Headingley, thrashed South Africa once by an innings and 85 at Old Trafford and then again by nine wickets at the Oval. It was England’s Bazball summer. Nighthawks, boomboxes, and kebabs, Harry Brook bowling off the wrong foot, sixes, switch-hits, scoops, smiles, and slogans stolen from soft-rock choruses. Live where your feet are. Highway to the danger zone.

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