McCullum backs captain Stokes to find batting form

Figure caption,

Williamson takes 'outstanding' catch as Stokes goes for 12

England captain Ben Stokes' batting is "not too far away" from a return to form, says head coach Brendon McCullum.

Stokes returned scores of 12 and nought in England's first-Test win over New Zealand, but was not alone in struggling for runs on a Lord's surface that made batting a challenge.

The all-rounder averaged 18 during England's Ashes series defeat and dropped down the order one place to number seven for the first Test against the Black Caps, swapping positions with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

"I feel like his fluency is starting to come back," said McCullum. "It would have been great if he had been able to get instant gratification with runs in this match.

"It didn't happen, but I'm pretty confident we'll see some runs and output in the Tests to come."

Stokes made his first Test century in two years against India at Old Trafford last summer, only to then miss the final Test because of a shoulder injury.

As England struggled during the Ashes, Stokes' batting became increasingly attritional, as if the captain was demonstrating the fight he wanted from his team-mates. An Ashes strike-rate of 36.58 was Stokes' slowest rate of run-scoring in any series when he has played more than two Tests.

One issue Stokes has when it comes to finding a rhythm to his batting is a lack of cricket outside playing for England.

He has not played any sort of white-ball cricket since the 2024 season of The Hundred. The two County Championship matches he played for Durham in May were also his first in two years, after the start to his season was delayed by the recovery from a broken cheek.

Asked about his batting after the win at Lord's, Stokes told Test Match Special: "We just won our first Test match of the summer, so that's where I'm going to concentrate at the moment."

Figure caption,

Highlights: Atkinson bowls England to 115-run victory over NZ

Stokes turned 35 on the first day of the Lord's Test, his 43rd in charge of England. If he stays fit for the next 18 months, the Durham man could lead in another 17 Tests up to the end of the next Ashes, putting him on 60 as captain. Joe Root holds the record for most Tests as England skipper, with 64.

Captains often experience a downturn in output the longer they spend in the post, with the pressures of the job a distraction from their own game. Stokes, whose workload as an all-rounder is considerable, explained that the move down to number seven was partly to ease the burden on his shoulders.

Stokes' batting average as captain is worse than when he was in the ranks - 32 as skipper compared to almost 36 when not. However, Stokes' bowling average is much better when is he leading England - taking his wickets at 28 apiece as captain, opposed to nearly 33 when not.