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Bazball

By: Nick Hoult, Lawrence Booth
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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Publisher's Summary

WATERSTONES' BEST BOOKS OF 2023: SPORT

The inside story of how England transformed the way Test cricket is played.

After one win in 17 by the start of the summer of 2022, England needed something new. For 145 years, Test cricket was played mainly in one way: batters laid a foundation before daring to attack – and, even then, only if circumstances were favourable. Bowlers tried to bowl maidens, calculating that they would eventually force an error. But the old ways weren’t working.

Then came ‘Bazball’, driven by new head coach in Brendon (‘Baz’) McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. What followed was one of the most thrilling revolutions in any sport, as a rudderless and ridiculed England Test team became – almost overnight – cricket’s most talked-about phenomenon. They embarked on a brand of Test cricket that breathed life into an ailing format, breaking records as they went on to win 11 out 13 Tests before taking on world champions Australia in a dramatic Ashes contest that ended 2–2.

Lawrence Booth and Nick Hoult, two of the game’s most respected writers, had a ringside seat for all the action. Their book will reveal how Bazball swept the England dressing room and transformed the team’s fortunes. Told via a mixture of interviews with the protagonists and insights gathered by the authors during their own close-up reporting, Bazball is an unmissable isten. As Rob Key said after he appointed McCullum: ‘Buckle up and get ready for the ride.’

©2023 Nick Hoult and Lawrence Booth (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic Reviews

Two of England’s best cricket journalists tell the gripping story of how England embarked on a new brand of Test cricket (Roger Alton)
Lawrence Booth and Nick Hoult are ideal witnesses to this unfolding drama (Michael Henderson)
Authoritative . . . a fascinating read, and confirms and enhances the reputations of both its authors (Martin Chandler)

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Morally it’s a good book

Pretty, self-congratulatory version of events don’t take my word for it because I’m in Australian

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.