England have now played 30 matches since McCullum and Stokes took control. In those games, they have scored at 4.61 runs per over, an unprecedented rate in Test cricket.
To give some context to quite how extraordinary their approach has been, the previous fastest-scoring 30-Test sequence was achieved by the almost-all-conquering Australian team in the early 21st Century, who scored at 4.00 per over from August 2001 to December 2003.
England have scored fractionally more than one run per over quicker than the second-quickest-scoring Test team since 2022 – India, who have scored at 3.60 per over, but have been accelerating of late and will provide compelling opposition for Stokes’ side next summer.
For further context, in the 30 Tests immediately before Stokes became full-time captain, England scored at 3.09 per over.
Prior to the Bazballian revolution, the fastest England had scored over 30 Tests was 3.58 per over – from May 2009 to August 2011, when Andrew Strauss’ team ascended to number one in the ICC rankings.
In the 1950s – one of England’s most successful Test decades – they scored at 2.23 per over, and 2.18 across the three Ashes triumphs in 1953, 1954-55 and 1956.
England have won 20 and lost nine of their past 30 Tests – the joint-most wins they have achieved in a 30-match sequence since the late 19th Century, although with more defeats and without the landmark series victories against elite teams that Michael Vaughan’s team secured while winning 20, and losing four, out of 30 games between 2003 and 2005.
