Why England cannot play the bouncer – explained

Short balls from the opposition were the catalyst for Bazball. In his mesmerising burst of hitting after tea at Trent Bridge a year ago, Jonny Bairstow was confronted with a packed leg side field, poised for the hook as Matt Henry bowled around the wicket. Bairstow played exactly the hook shot that New Zealand hoped - but so well that he repeatedly hit the ball over the fielders, clearing Trent Bridge’s short boundaries. It was the moment that crystallised England’s new approach under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. Ferocious pulls from Bairstow, Ollie Pope and Joe Root were one of the defining features of the new England regime.

But in New Zealand in February, England met an opponent prepared to take the short-ball strategy to new lengths. Neil Wagner is a unique bowler: designed to bowl short balls relentlessly, perfecting the art of bowling bouncers just below shoulder height. On the final afternoon in Wellington, Wagner’s four wickets clinched a one-run victory.

At Lord’s, Australia have used Wagner’s method. And for all that Harry Brook claimed that facing Wagner had prepared him for the short balls to come from Australia, this ignored the two advantages that Australia’s attack have. Most obvious is pace. Late-career Wagner generally operates a little over 80mph; Mitchell Starc can reach 90mph. And while there is one Wagner, Australia have four seamers that routinely operate above 85mph.

It adds up to a new answer to the question of how you stop England. From 188-1 on the second evening, with Australia down a bowler, England lost their last nine wickets for 137 runs. On a benign pitch with the old ball, Australia abandoned all slips - not even bothering to maintain the pretence of trying to get batsmen edging behind. Instead, Pat Cummins assembled his men on the leg side, poised for the short balls.

Five England batsmen obliged. If Josh Tongue’s wicket, prodding to short leg, was routine for a tailender, the dismissal of the four top order batsmen were altogether more striking. Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and then Harry Brook all saw plans that were easier to read than the time. Each carried on hooking regardless.

Brook’s dismissal was perhaps the most concerning. As Ben Stokes had done on the second evening, Brook showed a willingness to leave short balls, swaying away from his ball. But Australia still sensed his vulnerability to the deliveries; he backed away against a ball from Mitchell Starc that followed him, and flayed the ball to cover.

In the first months of the Stokes-McCullum rein, England had a resounding answer whenever teams adopted the short-ball tactic. In the regime’s first 10 games - last summer and in Pakistan - England averaged 73 against balls from pace bowlers that pitched in the bowler’s half of the pitch while scoring at seven runs an over. So far this year, that average has tumbled to just 24, with 20 England batsmen dismissed from such deliveries.

What has changed? Rather than using the short ball as a tactic of shock, opponents are now committing to using it as a tactic of stock. Last year, only 8 per cent of pace bowlers’ deliveries to England were bouncers. This year, excluding the Test against Ireland, that has soared to 21 per cent. Facing a relentless barrage of bouncers, with a series of fielders lying in wait, is an altogether different challenge to facing the occasional surprise bouncer. The challenge is heightened when facing an attack with Australia’s extra pace.

And so Australia’s tactics could do much more than win them the Test match. They could also become the template for how to bowl to England on flat wickets - and threaten to doom England’s Ashes hopes.

Player-by-player dismissal

Ollie Pope

Beaten for pace - late on his hook, against Cameron Green’s 88mph bouncer. Pope tried to clear deep backward square leg, but only found the man there.

Ben Duckett

Failed to control the bouncer - which he is never inclined to leave - as he tried to accumulate another single. Duckett tried to hit the ball down, but it was too high on the bat - showing the value of Australia’s extra pace.

Joe Root

No-ball dismissal:

Wicket:

Had already been caught behind off a Cameron Green bouncer, but was saved by a no-ball. Root did not show any inclination to change his approach against short bowling thereafter. He lacked control against Mitchell Starc’s high bouncer, top-edging to square leg. The third batsmen to fall to the short ball within eight overs.

Harry Brook

Was notably less attacking against short balls than his team-mates - with the exception of Ben Stokes. Brook backed away trying to give himself room as Mitchell Starc followed him.

Josh Tongue

A classic tailender’s dismissal, poking a Pat Cummins bouncer to short leg.