The Ashes 2023: Stokes v Green, Boland v Bazball - key Ashes battles

Could Ben Stokes oregon Cameron Green determine the result of the men's Ashes?

"Will England's benignant of play enactment against Australia?" is simply a question being asked truthful often, Ben Stokes is fed up of answering it.

With the assistance of Cricviz, BBC Sport has taken a person look astatine each the cardinal battlegrounds.

Can England 'Bazball' the Australian attack?

The astir evident spot to start.

England's upturn successful fortunes nether skipper Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum has been built connected immoderate breathtaking batting that has laid discarded to attacks successful Manchester, Multan and Mount Maunganui.

In the 13 Tests England person played since Stokes and McCullum took implicit past year, they person scored their runs astatine 4.85 an over, much than a full tally faster than the adjacent swiftest scorers - Australia connected 3.56.

Their astir notable achievements see chasing 299 successful 50 overs to bushed New Zealand astatine Trent Bridge, knocking disconnected 378 wrong 77 overs to decision India connected the aforesaid Edgbaston crushed that volition big Friday's Ashes opener, past piling connected 506-4 connected a stunning archetypal time against Pakistan successful Rawalpindi.

England's swashbuckling benignant is astir apt to enactment erstwhile the shot moves least. At location past summer, the commencement of Bazball was surely helped by immoderate precise level pitches and a batch of Dukes cricket balls that rapidly went brushed and retired of shape.

In fact, implicit the people of past summer's 7 location Tests, determination was connected mean little seam and plaything question successful the archetypal 20 overs of an innings than immoderate of the erstwhile 5 years, barroom 2019.

In a tiny illustration size of 2 Tests truthful acold this summertime (England v Ireland and Australia v India), the quality is bully for England - the plaything and seam has reduced erstwhile compared to past year. In theory, that means adjacent amended conditions for their batters.

The greater adaptable is the accomplishment of the Australian attack, astir apt the champion successful the world. Can England get aft Pat Cummins and co?

In the Stokes-McCullum era, England's batting hasn't been astir recklessness, but a implicit committedness to affirmative intent. They miss nary accidental to score, pouncing connected the slightest mistake from a bowler.

It comes arsenic nary astonishment to larn England are kept astir honorable by gait bowlers who tin clasp a bully length.

Over the people of the past year, a bully magnitude (pitching 6-8m successful beforehand of the batter) has England averaging 33.06 and striking astatine 52 runs per 100 balls.

When bowlers person gone excessively full, the mean rises to 41 and strike-rate to 94. Too abbreviated and those numbers go 43 and 85.

If, then, Australia are looking for their onslaught to clasp a length, Scott Boland has to beryllium successful their XI.

The 34-year-old, who made specified an interaction connected the past Ashes and displayed his awesome talents successful the World Test Championship final, has bowled 53% of deliveries successful his Test vocation connected a bully magnitude - a higher percent than immoderate different bowler successful the satellite since 2006 (when the information began).

Scott Boland has taken 18 Test wickets astatine an mean of conscionable 9.55 against England

Josh Hazlewood (43%) and Cummins (36%) are Australia's adjacent astir prolific magnitude bowlers.

Unsurprisingly, the often-wayward Mitchell Starc, who went astatine much than 5 runs an implicit successful each innings of the Test Championship final, is the slightest apt to vessel a bully length, with a vocation percent of 29%.

The conditions look to beryllium successful England's favour and they indispensable anticipation Australia place Boland.

Battle of the all-rounders

A examination betwixt England skipper Ben Stokes and Australia all-rounder Cameron Green since the second made his Test debut

Despite England being down successful wide Ashes contests - Australia person won much Tests and bid - the Poms person ever been utilized to having the premier all-rounder connected either side.

In the past 70 years, determination person been 14 instances of a subordinate scoring astatine slightest 250 runs and taking 10 oregon much wickets successful an Ashes series. Only 1 of them, Steve Waugh successful 1986-87, is Australian.

Stokes has done it once, his debut bid of 2013-14 (despite his epic Headingley innings 4 years ago, helium lone took 8 wickets successful the series) and present has a rival for the crown of starring Ashes all-rounder.

Since Cameron Green made his Test debut successful December 2020, helium has had a amended batting and bowling mean than Stokes. Australia person mislaid lone 3 Tests of the 21 Green has played in. He's similar having 3 men successful the gully, too.

Questions implicit Stokes' near genu linger, meaning England bash not cognize if they volition person a afloat acceptable five-man attack.

For the archetypal clip successful years, Australia person perfect equilibrium successful their broadside done the immense signifier of Green.

Still, what remains immeasurable is Stokes' interaction arsenic England captain. That itself could beryllium capable to triumph England the Ashes.

Open door?

England opening batters Zak Crawley (left) and Ben Duckett (second left) and Australia openers David Warner (second right) and Usman Khawaja (right)

Though some sides person a regular opening partnership, each 4 men who volition bat astatine the apical of the bid successful the archetypal Test astatine Edgbaston person questions hanging implicit them.

For England, Ben Duckett has been prolific since being recalled successful December, but his eagerness to onslaught extracurricular the disconnected stump volition beryllium severely tested.

Zak Crawley ended a tally of 8 innings without a half-century against Ireland, but a ample chunk of his 56 came via the wrong edge.

David Warner and Usman Khawaja are the archetypal brace of Australian openers aged implicit 36 since 1926.

Warner, who is connected the roadworthy to retirement, averaged conscionable 9.5 present 4 years ago, portion Khawaja, successful large signifier for the past 18 months, lone averages 17.78 successful England.

Still, the information is that caller bid person shown a coagulated opening concern is not a necessity for winning an Ashes bid successful the UK.

Since 2001, the past clip Australia won here, Justin Langer's 55 is the champion mean by an opener connected either side. Langer played six Tests, 5 of which were successful 2005, a bid Australia lost. The adjacent champion is Chris Rogers' 50 and helium won neither of his 2 series.

On the flip side, England fable Alastair Cook won each of his 3 location Ashes bid astatine the apical of the order, but averaged little than 30.

In that 22-year timespan, the mean of an opening batter successful Ashes Tests successful the UK is 33.36. Incredibly, openers for the losing squad implicit the aforesaid play person a higher mean than winners - 38 v 35.

Conclusion? Openers person not had a important interaction connected the effect of Ashes bid successful the UK.

If 1 of Crawley, Duckett, Warner oregon Khawaja tin basal up, it volition springiness their squad a immense and historically improbable boost.

The immovable objects

Somehow, England person to find a mode done Australia's mediate order.

First comes Marnus Labuschagne, ranked arsenic the world's fig 1 Test batter, followed by Steve Smith, connected people to becoming the astir prolific Ashes run-getter since Don Bradman.

At 5 is Travis Head, averaging much than some Labuschagne and Smith since the past Ashes, erstwhile helium was subordinate of the series.

Taking them 1 by one, determination are definite plans England could see for Australia's terrific trio.

Across his Test career, Labuschagne has been weakest against deliveries bowled connected a 'hard' length, pitching 8-10m successful beforehand connected him, and moving distant disconnected the seam. Six times Labuschagne has met his demise to specified deliveries, averaging lone 29.

In addition, Labuschagne has shown a weakness to precocious pace, falling 9 times to deliveries of velocity successful excess of 140kph. In the past Ashes successful Australia, Mark Wood got Labuschagne 3 times astatine an mean of 37, good down connected his vocation people of 57.

If precocious gait could beryllium the mode to spell against Labuschagne, past Smith thrives erstwhile the vigor is turned to the max, averaging 62 against the precise fastest bowlers.

England person tried umpteen plans against Smith, but are much apt to find occurrence connected a bully magnitude with the shot moving backmost towards him. In England, these types of transportation bring his mean down to 19.

His Sussex team-mate Ollie Robinson would beryllium the champion bowler to execute specified a program - the nip-backer is his astir predominant mode of dismissal successful Test cricket. Remarkably, successful the past Ashes Robinson dismissed Smith doubly for the outgo of conscionable 18 runs.

Anyone who watched Head bat successful the World Test Championship last volition person seen his compulsion to onslaught the abbreviated ball.

In his Test career, Head has played a mendacious changeable 31% of the clip to short-pitched bowling, mode supra the 23% mean for a top-seven batter. His dismissal complaint to short-pitched bowling is overmuch much predominant than the remainder of his Australian team-mates, too.

In Wood, England person a unsafe exponent of bouncers - lone South African brace Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada person taken much wickets with bumpers since the opening of 2021.

With Wood improbable incapable to play each 5 Tests, England could crook to Josh Tongue. More than fractional of the deliveries helium bowled connected Test debut against Ireland were short-pitched.

Spin war

England spinner Moeen Ali (left) and Australia spinner Nathan Lyon (right)

Nathan Lyon and Moeen Ali mightiness beryllium connected opposing sides, but the 2 spinners volition beryllium agreed successful knowing they volition travel nether attack.

Moeen admitted arsenic overmuch erstwhile helium spoke to the media connected Tuesday, portion Lyon volition person seen the mode England person pummelled rotation successful the Stokes-McCullum era.

The wide quality is the mode they participate the series. Only 7 men successful past person taken much than Lyon's 487 Test wickets.

Moeen, connected the different hand, has ended a near-two-year Test status to capable the void near by the injured Jack Leach.

He should person been connected vacation successful the Cotswolds and connected Wednesday volition miss grooming successful bid to cod his OBE.

Four years ago, Moeen was deed retired of the bid aft lone 1 Test. His vocation mean against Australia is astir 65, his strike-rate successful excess of 100.

One happening that whitethorn hole Moeen for the Aussie onslaught successful his acquisition successful white-ball cricket. Still, successful Tests since 2018, helium concedes 6.62 runs an implicit erstwhile batters beforehand down the pitch, compared to Lyon's 5.81.

Even erstwhile batters beryllium connected the backmost ft and look to beverage the spin, Moeen remains much expensive, conceding 3.73 to Lyon's 2.05.

Still, England won't beryllium acrophobic astir the runs Moeen leaks if helium is taking wickets. That is wherever helium has an vantage implicit Lyon, with a vocation strike-rate of 60.7 compared to 63.7.

The spinners cognize they are an endangered taxon successful this Ashes. They indispensable termination oregon beryllium killed.

And a elemental fact

If each of this sounds a spot excessively in-depth, there's each accidental that it is, truthful possibly it's champion to extremity connected a precise elemental thought.

In 71 bid played betwixt England and Australia, 37 person been won by the squad that has won the archetypal Test.

The past clip a squad mislaid the Ashes opener and went connected to triumph the bid was England's legendary occurrence successful 2005.

In the 9 bid since, six times the squad that won the archetypal Test lifted the urn.

In short, the winners of Friday's archetypal Test astatine Edgbaston are precise apt to beryllium holding the Ashes aloft astatine The Oval astatine the extremity of July.