Has Bazball rescued — or ruined — cricket?

The date 6 June 2021 was a grim day for cricket. As the world was adjusting to life after the pandemic, a Lord’s Test with a full house felt like ‘the promised kiss of springtime’. And so it was, until the final afternoon, when New Zealand challenged England to make 273 in 75 overs. The gesture was recognised as generous by all except the faint souls in the England dressing room, rendered frit by the possibility of defeat. Thousands of spectators, bewildered by five hours of fearful prodding, withdrew their consent.

With ‘the Hundred’ looming like a pirate’s galleon, caution was inexplicable. A heavily promoted competition of 100 balls a side, it was being marketed as a sop to teenagers, who found ‘red ball’ cricket a bind. And here was an England team, which appeared to endorse that view, refusing to engage with opponents who wanted to turn a bore-draw into a contest.