Big-hitting Bairstow helps England to get risky and cast off old shackles

“Root’s bloody out,” the old man gasped. It had happened while he and his wife were fetching fresh cups of tea. “So who’s this batting?” she asked. He craned his head sideways so he could try to read from the big screen. “Jonny Bairstow. Then it’s Stokes, Foakes and the bowlers.” He sucked his teeth. “They ought to shut up shop or they could lose this.” She pursed her lips, clearly unsure whether or not she agreed. But he was wearing a Nottinghamshire cricket club tie and had, you guess, watched a lot of cricket here over the years. There was a crack down below. Bairstow had just thumped Trent Boult for four through the covers.

And over in the Fox Road stand a song broke out. “Oh Jonny Bairstow! You are the love of my life! Oh Jonny Bairstow, I’d let you …” The lady squinted. “What are they singing?” she asked. “I didn’t catch it.”

There were all sorts in at Trent Bridge: kids who had been allowed to skip school, stay-at-home parents with babies in slings, students, skivers and the retired. These weren’t people who had planned their day out a year in advance. Most of them had only decided to come the previous evening when the club announced it was going to be free entry, a decision that paid for itself in public relations (not to mention the bar takings). A week after the MCC were being criticised for high ticket prices at Lord’s, Nottinghamshire had opened English cricket up to the public. So it wasn’t a typical English crowd that came. But then, this isn’t a typical England team, either.

In the match these two teams played at Lord’s this time last year, New Zealand declared their second innings and set England a chase of 273 in 75 overs. They refused to do it and spent the afternoon plodding to a boring draw. This time