Marcus Trescothick: England batting coach on their 'Bazball' approach against New Zealand

107 tests, including 29 as captain and six away against New Zealand have imbued England test cricket captain Ben Stokes with wisdom about winning the toss on emerald-hued pitches.

Another case-in-point is poised to greet the sides tomorrow at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

Batting coach Marcus Trescothick joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the first test. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news talk Z.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be how are we doing? You're okay, Yeah, I'm.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Doing very well. What's the point? How are you guys going?
Have you said it all a while now?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Very good? Yeah, the boys have had a good bit
of preparation in Queenstown and obviously a little bit of
a practice matches to get everyone going and that's have
been great up here in christ Churts now. So yeah,
really looking forward to obviously the game starts tomorrow, which
is really exciting. Hopefully of great crowd and we'll entertain
them with some good cricket.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
And sold out from what I hear like a lot
of these games, which is fantastic. Says a lot for
the playing stakes and for the way you guys play
your cricket. I'm presuming that nothing much is going to change.
It's all peddle to the middle.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, that's what we do, right, It's entertaining. It's it's
a bit risky at times, but you know, we're you know,
we want to try and push games forward and obviously
advance games pretty quickly. So it does make for good
viewing and good opportunities and I know there's a lot
of English guys are people coming out to watch, and
I know we always get great crowds from the local
people as well, so it just makes for a good week.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Marcus, you're sick of the term bears pall yet.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
You almost chuckle because obviously it's just how it sort
of sticks around the team and obviously it's been coined
by the English media back at home, but it is
what it is, right, you know. We we have a
method and we have a style of play, and we're
pretty confident in that, in that style, and it's just
like yeah, people obviously you know, sort of tag it
and they look up on it in a different way,
don't you because it is slightly unique and a bit

(01:36):
more risky than people you know, some people like but
you know, that's that's kind of what we do, right,
That's how we go about our business.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Has it been embraced by everybody? Because initially people loved it,
then you suffered a couple of defeats and the English press,
I mean we really can can be to them now
are like, nah, this is the wrong way to go
bit to a traditional cricket. So has it actually got acceptance.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Now do you think, Marcus, Well, it does amongst our group,
in amongst our team. I don't think we're too concerned
about you know that what's written in medias in terms
of you know, whether they agree with it or not.
You know, we have a philosophy about how trying to
do it, and you know we'll stick to that plan.
We're always trying to adapt and get better and learn
and improve on what we've done. And we've had good
success but be challenged in different areas. So you know

(02:18):
that's something for us to keep improving upon.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
So I don't expect anything will change tomorrow. Should you
be working first? And I've got to ask about Jacob Bethel.
He's plainly brought him to this as well. This has
been the big story of the selection and Stokes has
actually come out and tried to defend them as well
as it necessary.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, I don't thk, So I think we just you know,
go about our business. We've identified Jacob over a number
of years, since he's under nineteen's days, that you know,
this is going to be a player of high performance.
And you know we've seen some great styles of play
and performing in the last sort of couple of white
ball series that we've had, one against Australia in the

(02:57):
UK and then just in the Caribbean recently. There's a
player there and this is a great opportunity for him
to just enjoy his moment and flourishing the opportunity that
you know, he's got a free hit, go out there
and enjoy himself and just sort of play the game.
We know he's good enough. It's just trying to get
him enough experience now for the next period of time
to make him that quality player that we know he
will be.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
I'm presuming that with his selection club cricket. At that level,
everyone is brought into the concept of basball. Dere I
say it and he comes armed with that that's been
going through the grades, that that aggressive form of cricket.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, it has. I think people have looked upon it
back at home and sort of picked up on various bits.
Some people, some teams more than others, have run with
it and really sort of taken it forward. And individuals
have also seen and identified this sort of style of
play that or that type of player you need to
be to be, you know, sort of looked upon by
the England management of the moment, So it makes for

(03:53):
great cricket and you know it's a lot more positive
than what we've seen in the past, and I think
it really suits us as a team at the moment.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
We're listening to Marcus Trous Gothic assistant coach for the
English side. What did you pull out of the Indian
series up against the Black Caps?

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Well, I thought it was a great win. You know,
we were watching I think where we were in Pakistan.
I think at the time, I think all credit to
them to go into India and to win three nil
in a series that is an amazing effort. So you know,
you know they must have been really delighted to get that.
We know how's tough it is. We were in India
only last year and found it tricky. So all credit

(04:31):
to the boys.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
And when you look at the changes on the side,
how does mister Pope feel about moving down to six?
Plainly with the gloves, he's going to spend a lot
of time behind the stick, so that was a necessary move.
How did he embrace that?

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah? Fine, Look, I think we needed to obviously find
the next weekkeeper within the team. Ollie did it recently
in Pakistan, not too long ago and has done it
as a lot of the kids. So he was more
than happy to embrace the opportunity to, you know, to
don the gloves again and enjoy himself doing that.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
Your expectations, what are the English media think of what
you're supposed to achieve?

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (05:05):
I think they, you know, they come out and enjoy
it and they pick up different things, you know. You know,
players will have the opportunity over the next few weeks
to really sort of light up Test cricket at the
moment with quite a bit of Test cricket going on
around the world. So it's a great opportunity again for
the team and hopefully we entertain people.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
Long live Test cricket. I say and thank you very
much Marcus Troscoffic for your time. You look after yourself, eh,
cheers mate, No worries.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
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