England's brave 'Bazball' approach is braced for its toughest examination yet with Dukes cricket balls back to their demanding best for this summer's Ashes.
Brendan McCullum's ultra-positive approach has proved game-changing for the England Test side and sets up an enthralling home series against Australia starting in June.
McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have combined to transform England's fortunes, with a resurgent and ambitious team reigniting Test appeal with a high-octane style that has engaged new fans and caused records to tumble.
A far-cry from the beleaguered team that surrendered the urn Down Under last winter, England's one-run defeat to New Zealand in Wellington last month did little to dampen the optimism ahead of the Ashes.
But the swashbuckling style of the Test batters - pushing the boundaries with swift run-rates akin to ODI-level scoring - will face a new challenge with the latest batch of Dukes balls.
The ball manufacturer came under criticism from England's stars Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson last summer as the product offered little to bowlers, going soft quickly and losing its shape.
Dilip Jajodia - owner of the company that manufactures the Dukes ball - has attributed the ball's ineffectiveness in 2022 to a problem with the leather during a time of heightened Covid disruption.
“I asked all the questions, and eventually it became clear that staff had been on furlough, some had been laid off,” Jajodia told the Telegraph. “They had problems getting the right chemicals, they had to use substitute chemicals.
“There is a sequence that takes place. You put the leather in a pit, it sits there for x number of days at x temperature. That was all disrupted. They did admit that everything hadn’t gone to plan because of the covid closedown.”
He added: “The problem with leather is you can’t actually tell by just looking at it and feeling it. You can do various tests, but it’s not until it gets whacked for 80 overs by professional cricketers, hitting sight screens and fences and all that, that you can realise there is an inherent weakness in the leather, and that’s what it was."
Jajodia has worked tirelessly with his team to fix the manufacturing issue and now claims that the balls are "back to normal" and are "looking good." And a return to an enduring swinging and seaming Dukes ball for the Ashes could, in theory, hinder England's aggressive approach.
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root took full advantage of the soft ball in a golden summer for the Yorkshire duo with blistering centuries as England won six out of seven Tests. But the risk-averse option to rein in England's aggression with the bat as a result of the changes is hardly befitting of the culture that has been emboldened by McCullum and Stokes.
England's bowlers will undoubtedly profit with the Dukes ball swinging properly, but the impact on the batters will prove fascinating against a fierce Australian attack this summer.
