Duckett's Masterclass and England's Insane Chase: How We Just Witnessed Something Special at Headingley

By Lewis Barnett 24 June, 2025 6 mins read 70 Views

I'm still buzzing from what I just watched.

England pulled off one of those victories that makes you remember why you fell in love with cricket in the first place. Ben Duckett smashed 149 runs like a man possessed, and somehow - somehow - they chased down 371 against India with five wickets to spare. At Headingley. On the final day.

My mate texted me at lunch: "This is mental." He wasn't wrong.

Hear this Article

When 371 Looks Like Child's Play

Here's the thing about watching Bazball in action - it messes with your head. What should feel impossible starts looking routine. Duckett and Zak Crawley opened with a partnership of 188, and suddenly that mountain of runs India had set looked more like a gentle hill.

Duckett was in that zone where everything clicks. Cover drives flying to the boundary, reverse sweeps sailing over the ropes (yes, over the ropes!), and the Indian bowlers looking increasingly desperate. The guy reached his hundred off 121 balls, and honestly? It felt inevitable.

Poor Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped him on 97. Third catch he'd spilled this match. You could see the exact moment he knew he'd cost India the game.

The Wobble That Nearly Wasn't

Cricket's cruel like that, isn't it? One minute you're cruising at 181-0, the next you're watching wickets tumble like dominoes.

Crawley went for 65 - edged to slip just after bringing up England's halfway point. Then Ollie Pope played on. Duckett fell one run short of 150 (gutting for him, brilliant for us). And Harry Brook? Golden duck. After scoring 99 in the first innings.

That's cricket summed up right there - beautiful and brutal in the same breath.

Suddenly we needed 118 with six wickets left, and even the most optimistic England fan was getting twitchy. My editor bet me £20 that India would pull it back from there. (He owes me a pint now.)

Root Does Root Things

Joe Root is England's security blanket, isn't he? When everything's falling apart, there's Root looking like he's batting in his back garden. Unflappable doesn't begin to cover it.

He guided England through the wobble with that calm authority that makes him the world's number one batsman. Fifty up, job nearly done, and Jamie Smith there to finish it off with some brutal hitting off Jadeja.

Smith's winning six was the perfect punctuation mark on a ridiculous day.

What This Actually Means

This was the second-highest run chase England have ever completed. The second-highest total any team has scored on a final day to win a Test match. Those aren't just numbers - they're history.

India had five individual centuries in this match and still lost. Five! Rishabh Pant scored two of them himself and walked away empty-handed. That's got to hurt.

But here's what really gets me: England made it look easy. Not the chase itself - that was always going to be tough - but the way they approached it. No rain dances, no blocking it out for a draw. Just pure, aggressive intent from ball one.

That's the Stokes-McCullum effect right there. They've rewired how this team thinks about the game, and it's beautiful to watch when it works.

Jasprit Bumrah looked unplayable early on, but as soon as the support bowlers came on, England pounced. Duckett was reverse-sweeping for sixes, Crawley was driving through the covers, and suddenly 371 didn't look so scary anymore.

The Headingley Magic Strikes Again

There's something about this ground, isn't there? Botham in '81, Stokes in 2019, and now this. Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's the pitch, or maybe it's just destiny having a laugh.

Whatever it is, we've just witnessed another chapter in Headingley folklore. And if you were there, or glued to your TV like I was, you'll remember this one for years.

England 1-0 up in the series, and playing cricket that makes you believe anything's possible. What a time to be alive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in cricket?

The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is a mathematical formula used to calculate the target score for the team batting second in limited-overs cricket matches that are interrupted by weather or other delays. The formula takes into consideration the number of wickets and overs left and assigns an appropriate number of runs for each. The goal of the system is to adjust the target for the batting team to reflect the reduced amount of overs that they are able to play due to interruptions.

What is the over in cricket?

A cricket over is six consecutive legal deliveries from a bowler at one end of the field to the batsman on the opposite side. The play moves to the opposite side of the pitch after an over. A different bowler will bowl the over that follows. The game can progress with the six deliveries. It also provides strategic elements for teams as they try to maximize or restrict the opponent's scoring each over.

How long does a standard game of cricket last?

The duration of the match can be quite variable. Three primary formats exist for the game. Test cricket, the longest form, can last up to five days. One Day International (ODI), or one-day matches, are played in a typical day. Each side is given a specific number of fifty overs. Twenty20 (T20), an even shorter format, typically concludes within three to five hours. Each side plays one innings of 20 runs.

What is the function of a Cricket Captain?

The cricket captain plays a crucial strategic and leadership role within the team. The captain is responsible for key decisions such as setting the batting order, determining fielding placement and when to use certain bowlers. The captain also represents the team in the field. He communicates with the umpires while motivating and leading the players. Above all, a captain embodies the team's ethos and often makes tactical adjustments during the game to try to secure a win.

Can you explain what a 'no-ball' and 'wide ball' are in cricket?

No-balls are when a player breaks the rules for delivery. For example, if a player throws the ball in place of keeping a straight grip on the elbow during the bowling movement. A wide ball' occurs when the batsman is not able to reach a delivery, or if it's deemed impossible for them to score. Both 'no-balls' and 'wides' result in extra runs being awarded to the batting team and neither type of delivery counts towards the completion of an over.

Statistics

Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets in international cricket, with a staggering 1,347 wickets to his name.
Australia's Women's Cricket Team holds the record for the longest winning streak in ODIs, with 26 consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021.
The highest partnership in Test cricket is 624 runs, set by Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa in 2006.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the highest number of runs scored in international cricket, amassing 34,357 runs across all formats.
In 1999, the Indian team set a Test match record for the most runs scored in a single day's play, putting up 588 runs against New Zealand.

External Links

How To

How to Maintain and Prepare a Cricket Pitch

To ensure an even and consistent playing field, you must prepare and maintain your cricket pitch. The first step is to mow and roll the pitch in order to reach the desired level. Maintaining the integrity of your pitch is easier with regular watering. This is especially true in dry conditions. You should address any wear immediately, notably the bowlers’ run-ups or batsmen’s creases. Regular checks and upkeep ensures the pitch remains in a high-quality condition throughout play.