‘Bazball’ batting won’t sway Black Caps in test series against the West Indies
Sunday, 30 November 2025
ANALYSIS: The major effect of ‘Bazball’ for the Black Caps in test cricket has come only when they’ve faced England.
When New Zealand play a test against any other nation, their batting run-rate is chiefly based on quality of opposition and pitch conditions, rather than any pre-ordained approach.
England’s batting has again come under fire after their first-test hammering in Perth last week in the opening game of the Ashes series.
Brendon McCullum’s charges - or should that be chargers? - scored at 5.23 runs per over and 4.73 in their two innings. However, they could only manage to bat for a total of 67.3 overs in the eight-wicket loss.
Don’t expect the same fizzling fireworks from the Black Caps when they host the West Indies in the first of three tests at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, starting on Tuesday.
Since New Zealand first encountered ‘Bazball’ in McCullum’s debut series as England coach in June 2022, there’s been no discernible change to what pace the side has batted from series to series - even allowing for the captaincy to switch from Kane Williamson to Tim Southee, and now Tom Latham - and with Rob Walter now head coach after Gary Stead’s lengthy reign.
In the 25 tests in that period, NZ have won 12, lost 11 and drawn two matches - in varying styles.
They were bolder with the bat than usual in their stunning 3-0 series win in India in late 2024 - only once in their six innings was NZ’s run-rate lower than a healthy 3.57 per over, and Stead acknowledged that he wanted his batting line-up to ‘fire some shots’ against the much-fancied Indian team.
The Black Caps also scored rapidly in their 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka at home in March 2023 - at 4.07 RPO in the second innings of the nail-biter in Christchurch, and at 4.71 in their innings triumph in Wellington.
But the victory over a greatly below-strength South Africa side in February last year came at a crawl, with NZ scoring at 2.72 and 2.85 ROP in Hamilton.
McCullum and his batters were roasted by media and fans alike after their rapid capitulation in the first test, but as expected, the former Black Caps skipper wasn’t going to back down over how he wanted his side to play.
He has his legitimate reasons too - the whopping 50% increase in scoring rate from 3.24 historically to nearly 4.86 RPO since his arrival has lifted England’s test match win rate from 39.2% to 60.5% – a 54% relative improvement.
Prior to the first test of The Ashes, England’s Strike Rate with the bat had rocketed from 48.08 - in the period from July 2019-May 2022 - to 70.72.
And while it slightly improved their paltry record of test wins over Australia and England in that same time-frame (from 22.2% to 37.50%), it has notably bolstered their win percentage versus the other World Test Championship teams from 53.30% to 76.20%.
The Black Caps have been the team heavily on the receiving end of ‘Bazball’.
They were swept 3-0 by the hosts in June 2022, as England’s batters got into the swing of things as the series progressed - their RPO in their last four innings were 4.20, 5.98, 5.37 and 5.44.
The visitors scored at more than four an over in each innings of their crushing pink-ball test win in Mt Maunganui in February 2023, but managed ‘just’ 3.44 in the second innings of NZ’s dramatic victory that followed at the Basin Reserve.
Late last year, England never dropped below 4 RPO in any innings as they won the first two tests in a 2-1 series triumph.
So what to expect of the West Indies batters?
A side which has lost its last five test outings against Australia at home and India away does not bat for long when they score quickly, and on seaming wickets at Hagley Oval and the Basin Reserve, are likely to be very circumspect.