England’s Bazball heroes have already set their sights on Ashes – but how do Ben Stokes and company compare to their Australian rivals?

BEN STOKES wants to focus on England’s triumphs in 2022 – but also admits he has his eye on Ashes next summer.

Under Stokes, England’s attacking, ‘we don’t make ties’ mentality is transforming more than a century of Test match tradition.

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But can they play like that in The Ashes?

Here, SunSport assesses the state of the game, with the showdown fast approaching, giving each team in each division a mark out of 10.

Beat

ENGLAND – 8 (out of ten)

AUSTRALIA – 8th

ENGLAND’S new explosive batting changes the way Test cricket is played.

They started the series in Pakistan by going 506-4 in 75 overs on the first day of the first Test – and when many of the players were still unwell after a virus had hit camp.

England won the series 3-0, with Joe Root – who carried the clout in recent years – averaging eighth.

Harry Brook emerged as a star, Ben Duckett revived his Testing career and figures like Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope embraced the Stokes philosophy and made strides.

Jonny Bairstow, Hero of the Summer, was absent with a broken leg.

Australia’s middle class is powerful, with Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head piling on runs in the recent series against the West Indies.

They occupy three of the top four in the world rankings. But opener David Warner has not scored a Test century since January 2020 and his spot is in jeopardy.

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BOWLING

ENGLAND – 8th

AUSTRALIA – 8th

STOKES went full funky mode in Pakistan – Jack Leach opened bowling, James Anderson came on as a third substitution – because of the conditions.

But he’ll return to three slips and a gully in The Ashes with the swinging, fringing Dukes ball.

Anderson shows no signs of decline, Ollie Robinson is accurate and highly skilled and Stuart Broad returns to England after paternity leave.

Hopefully Jofra Archer can do something about it after his bad luck with injuries.

Bowling is Australia’s forte.

Any team considering skipping a fit Josh Hazlewood – as it is considering for the Boxing Day Test with South Africa – must have good resources.

Can England play Bazball against Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Co.? Fascinating.

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CAPTAINS

ENGLAND – 9

AUSTRALIA – 8th

VICTORY in The Ashes will confirm Stokes as one of England’s greatest captains… maybe THE Best.

He redefines test cricket by eliminating the fear of failure.

Can he help England’s players relax in The Ashes? No reason why not.

It’s hard not to like Cummins, who is handsome, charming and talented – and his wife Becky is English!

He showed solidarity with Australian team-mates after former manager Justin Langer criticized his players.

Stokes and Cummins both see the bigger picture and have donated generously to charities in cricket-playing countries – Stokes for flood relief in Pakistan, Cummins for the fight against Covid in India.

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TRAINER

ENGLAND – 9

AUSTRALIA – 7TH

BRENDON McCULLUM doesn’t like the word “Bazball” because he thinks it’s cheesy and gives too much credit to it rather than the players. But it stuck.

Baz was a dynamic New Zealand captain, gambler, wine drinker and horse owner. He claims he does, “Bugger all,” but crucially he helped create the free-roaming locker room atmosphere.

This month, the Aussies put up a sign that read ‘Ronball’ on the players’ balconies. Their coach is Andrew McDonald – nicknamed Ronald – and it was a gentle break in the leg at England’s expense.

But “Ronball” doesn’t quite stumble off the tongue like “Bazball,” does it? McDonald’s is respected – but just doesn’t have McCullum’s charisma.

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FORM

ENGLAND – 8th

AUSTRALIA – 8th

ONLY a year ago England were humiliated in The Ashes (4-0 and without the weather it would have been 5-0) and then got beaten in the Caribbean.

Root finished as captain after a string of one win in 17 Tests. But since then… wow!

England have won nine out of ten Tests against four different opponents.

Ahead of The Ashes, they travel to New Zealand in February for two Tests – including a day-nighter – and take on Ireland in a four-day Test at Lord’s in early June.

Australia have just beaten a weak West Indies team 2-0 and defeated South Africa in the first of three games in two days on a green gabba field.

They play four Tests in India in February and March. The Aussies routinely beat England on home soil – but have not won an Ashes series here since 2001.

SUNSPORT ASHES JUDGMENT

ENGLAND – 42 (of 50)

AUSTRALIA – 39th