Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barney Ronay

The last Big Thing: why next men’s Ashes may be the longest form’s long goodbye

England’s Ben Stokes, Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Joe Root
England’s Ben Stokes, Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Joe Root face something of an apex moment for the Bazball movement. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

“Aw look, the Ashes is a long, long way away.” Is it, though? Is it, really? Ben Duckett hit all the right notes on Channel 7’s Big Bash coverage in the past week, speaking after his Green Team had beaten their Red Team local rivals at a beautifully sun-dappled Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Duckett clearly loves being in Australia. It suits him. The clipped cod-antipodean go-well-mate style. Beard, glasses, salt-stained nylon cap, the iconography of the alpha franchise dude. At that moment his scores for the Melbourne Stars this season read: 0, 68, 67, 0, 67, 20, which is also deeply in character. Go hard. Go home. Whichever. It’s a vibe, babes.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.