"They are flamboyant and provide thrilling entertainment...which could revolutionise how some other sides play the longer format," Vaughan told his readers in the Telegraph.
He said a freedom to play their natural game was bringing the best out of the New Zealand players.
"They are playing one-day cricket over five days...I think it is a really good model for other teams (who) struggle in tests."
Cricket's TV front man Mark Nicholas, a former first class cricketer, said in an effusive piece: "No team in the world plays with such a sense of possibility and joy.
"There is no sign of arrogance or disdain...the pleasure in playing cricket remained clear but nothing was celebrated for its own sake - not the milestones of batsmen, nor the fall of wickets or the holding of catches. Each reaction was understated, respectful."
Writing for ESPN's CricInfo, Nicholas said McCullum is the best thing to happen in cricket for a long time. He noted that Martin Crowe, a supporter of ousted captain Ross Taylor, was now on board the McCullum train.
AP's Steve Douglas made a prominent mention of how Tim Southee chuckled to himself after missing with wild swings of the bat.
"Test cricket is dying the critics say...not the way New Zealand plays it," he wrote.
"Cricket's authorities have been considering proposals about how to enhance the public appeal of cricket's oldest format...New Zealand's players, it seems, have their own idea."
Douglas said some purists were uneasy, but quoted McCullum thus: "We need to play an aggressive style of cricket...there are times we'll get beaten, but it's our greatest chance of success."
Holding has never been one to swim with the tide. In a sea of praise, he had suggested McCullum's declaration was not aggressive enough. The rain duly arrived, leaving New Zealand sweating on whether there is enough time to win this test and save the series.
There is an underlying if unstated theme to the praise, that New Zealand's scant success in cricket history means the pressure is off, allowing the swashbuckling approach to take over. Style can be more important than an over-obsession with substance in New Zealand cricket, something that would not be tolerated with the All Blacks who are required to win almost all the time. Lost cricket series get lost over time leaving the magic of the moment as the most vital factor.
Considering the state of the teams going into this two-test series in England, the disappointing possibility that New Zealand will lose in the dead of night has been overwhelmed by the well wishers who greet the fans each morning.
Australia awaits at the end of the year when two aggressive teams should turn on a blast of a series. With expectations raised, cricket on a high and facing such fierce opposition, it will be a tough test for McCullum's tactics.
