England coach Paul Farbrace: New Zealand’s attacking approach is providing the perfect test for us

England and New Zealand are currently drawing the ODI series 1-1
England won the first match and scored their highest ever ODI total
The Kiwis won the second international by 13 runs on in thrilling match
Caretaker coach Paul Farbrace says New Zealand are perfect opponents
Farbrace will hand over control to Trevor Bayliss ahead of summer’s Ashes

Published:
16:00 GMT, 13 June 2015

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Updated:
16:00 GMT, 13 June 2015

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England will remain under orders to take New Zealand on shot for shot – because Paul Farbrace is convinced that is how to beat opponents he sees as a perfect test for his team.

Caretaker coach Farbrace will hand control over to Trevor Bayliss for this summer’s Ashes, after the ongoing Royal London Series.

He is hoping to do so after a notable success against the World Cup finalists, who have levelled the series at 1-1 – with the first of three more matches at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday.

England caretaker coach Paul Farbrace pictured in discussion with England one-day captain Eoin Morgan

Morgan smashes the ball to the boundary during England’s narrow defeat by New Zealand at the Oval on Friday

England were beaten but unbowed at the Oval on Friday when they came so close to pulling off a spectacular run chase – far in excess of anything they have achieved before, in pursuit of 398 for five.

Rain interrupted home progress, and brought a Duckworth-Lewis recalculation which proved 13 runs beyond them and left captain Eoin Morgan expressing qualms about the long-trusted system.

Farbrace is more inclined to set aside those issues, however, and look ahead to watching England continue on the front foot – as they were with a record winning total of 408 for nine at Edgbaston, and then again in London.

‘It’s almost the perfect series for us, playing against a team that play the way they do – because we’re learning all the time,’ he said.

‘The opposition plays in such a way that we have no choice but to try to… it is almost the perfect opposition.’

Brendon McCullum’s Kiwis are hardly likely to take a backward step, having proved they are at their best when they stay on the attack.

Farbrace added: ‘They’re a fantastic side … [who] set great standards. It makes it a little bit easier for us to try and match them, go past them, because they’re setting stanadards we want to achieve.

‘We can’t do anything about D/L – that’s part of the game, part of the rules. Our sole focus is about what we can control.’

Farbrace’s England will keep it simple too.

The England captain used a combination of big hitting and classical strokeplay in his innings of 88 not out

When rain interrupted proceedings England needed nine runs an over – that rocketed to 15 at the restart

‘[All] we’ve talked about is intent,’ he added. ‘We haven’t sat down and talked about plans, or how we’re going to play, how many runs we want to be at certain overs – all we talk about is good strong shots and play with good intent.

‘If we play well enough, we’ll win the game; if we haven’t, we’ll lose. We want to be one of the best teams in the world … that has to be your aim when you play international sport.’

Even in defeat, Farbrace dwelt not on what had gone awry but what he believes England are doing right.

‘I’m as pleased as I was after the game at Edgbaston,’ he said. Obviously I want to win … that’s what you play the game for. But I’m really, really pleased with how the guys went about it.’

He cites Joe Root’s hundred in Birmingham, and the innings of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson for New Zealand at the Oval, as ideal examples of how to bat in modern 50-over cricket.

‘That’s the great thing about Rooty’s innings that set us up on Tuesday – it was proper cricket shots,’ he said. ‘A hundred off 71 balls without slogging – playing strong shots.

Farbrace has been encouraged by what he has seen from England, even in defeat at the Oval on Friday

‘That’s something our players have started to do; they’ve started to take that on. Until you let yourself go and have a real go at it, you never know what you can achieve.

‘If you always play cautiously, you’ll get cautious; if you play safe, you’ll get safe. It’s not gung-ho. We’re not just slogging across the line – they’re strong cricket shots, all the way down the order.’

Another case in point is all-rounder Adil Rashid, back in international cricket after a near six-year break and proving himself again as a leg-spinner and batsman.

‘He really is someone who’s getting better,’ said Farbrace. ‘The last few years at Yorkshire have done him good – and he’s ready to play international cricket again.

‘I’ve always thought that by the age of 28, 29, 30, he could be an excellent all-rounder in world cricket – and what I’ve seen in the last two games, he’s shown that.

Morgan talks to young spinner Adil Rashid, who bowled reasonably well but still went for 72 runs off his overs

‘We’re not getting carried away, but he has the ability to go further. He is such a talented cricketer.’

England are set for an enforced change on the south coast, with scans on seamer Chris Jordan’s side injury expected to confirm his absence – and they have already called up Somerset’s Craig Overton as cover.

Whoever has to bowl at the Kiwis faces a tough task, but one Farbrace contends is sure to provide more rich entertainment.

‘Of course it’s tough on the bowlers,’ he said, referencing fielding restrictions and ‘bigger and bigger’ bats.

‘But it’s exciting to watch – and I think anyone who’s been to these two games will go away saying ‘crikey, that’s a fantastic advert for the game of cricket, and I want to watch more of it’.

‘We want to play well; we want to win – but we want people coming back to watch more games.’