England v New Zealand: 'Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum positivity put to the test' & More News Here

Back in the days when The Simpsons was price watching, half-witted actor Troy McClure proudly informed us he had starred in a self-help video referred to as ‘Get Confident, Stupid’.

The early days of the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum period have been about rebuilding England’s confidence.

More than one participant has spoken about new coach McCullum attempting to make them really feel “10ft tall”. Words like “aggression” and “positivity” have been liberally sprinkled right here and there, however the new mantra primarily boils down to rebuilding the perception of a damaged crew.

Over the two days of their second Test as the management duo, Stokes and McCullum’s confidence-building train could have been difficult.

Yes, there have been instances when England had been up in opposition to it throughout the first Test in opposition to New Zealand final week, however the five-wicket win at Lord’s was such a helter-skelter freewheel, there was barely time to breathe, not to mention assume.

To concede 553 after asking New Zealand to bat at Trent Bridge would have been tough for even hardened groups to take.

That England reached 90-1 by the shut on Saturday is already encouraging. Countless instances in the current previous they’ve responded to the identical activity by rolling over to have their bellies tickled.

At this level, it is essential to stress this isn’t a judgement on the competency of the England crew. Just as final week’s win did not immediately repair a facet that had gained solely one in every of its earlier 17, so too a defeat right here wouldn’t make them any worse than they’ve been over the previous 18 months.

Similarly, it’s no touch upon the possibilities of McCullum and Stokes in the end making England a drive in Test cricket. It is much too early to say.

But it’s actually an examination of the new ethos, and an analysis of what it means to play with confidence, positivity and aggression.

Confidence can take an age to construct and seconds to destroy. It is all properly and good for England to bond over daft video games and penalty shootouts in coaching, however can they fall again on that when Daryl Mitchell is hitting the ball into the second tier?

How do you construct the confidence of Jack Leach when he has gone 1,000 days between house Test wickets, or Matthew Potts, enjoying in his second Test and dropping the form of catch {that a} spectator caught in her pint glass on the earlier day?

What about Zak Crawley, who edges the ball extra usually than every other opener in the world?

Positivity just isn’t restricted to whacking boundaries, bowling magic balls or packing the cordon with six slips.

A batter can defend, go away or pinch a single with positivity. It is usually a optimistic to string collectively a run of three maiden overs.

A plan in the area may be positively executed, simply as England did when James Anderson enticed Michael Bracewell into an edge by hanging the ball outdoors off stump with a 7-2 area.

Aggression is available in many varieties, not simply snarling at the opposition (not that McCullum groups try this).

Whereas bowling coach Jon Lewis was adamant England had been exhibiting aggression by bowling first, it may be argued that the actually aggressive choice would have been to again themselves to bat, come by way of a tough first session, then make full use of what turned out to be a really flat pitch.

It appears like the third day in Nottingham might be an early indication of how far England have come of their quick time beneath the new regime.

The situations maintain no demons, their batters are seemingly to have each doable benefit of their try to play England in direction of security. Whether or not they’ll get someplace shut to New Zealand’s whole, or fold in a morning of mayhem, might be telling.

For in addition to Alex Lees and Ollie Pope batted in including 84 on Saturday night, each wanted the luck of being dropped by Mitchell. With Pope particularly, it felt safer to watch him bat from behind the couch.

Still, they continue to be. Lees along with his highest Test rating of 34, Pope having made a half-century in his new place at three. An enormous rating for both man would do wonders for his or her long-term prospects.

Stokes has been eager to stress that the message given to the gamers won’t change, no matter the state of affairs England discover themselves in.

“It’s just a simple message and it’s something that we are trying to filter throughout everything that we do. Always look to be positive,” he mentioned the day earlier than the second Test started.

Indeed, however England’s positivity is probably going to want some gentle and shade.

Back to The Simpsons. At the finish of the identical McClure episode, Lisa tells us “self-improvement can be achieved, but not with a quick fix. It’s a long, arduous journey of personal and spiritual discovery”.

England’s lengthy journey has solely simply begun.

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