Ben Stokes

When I sat down to write this headline all the usual superlatives went through my head. Awesome. Sensational. Insane. I even toyed with the headline The Miracle of Headingley ’19. But in the end only two words felt right. Only two words encapsulated all the superlatives I could ever regurgitate: Ben Stokes.

This summer we’ve seen English cricket’s infant terrible – see I can throw in the odd cliche as well multiple hyperboles – grow into the player we all hoped he could be. Yes he played a miserable shot in the first innings. But we’re all human. It’s how we learn from our mistakes and make up for them that counts. And today Ben Stokes delivered like a true champion.

I am absolutely lost for words. I can hardly believe it. I gave England absolutely no hope yesterday and buggered off to Twickenham to watch us beat Ireland at rugby instead. And when I checked the score at 7pm, after several jars of beer, I still gave us no hope. I thought today would be a formality for Australia. Unless there was a miracle of course …

And so it came to pass that the Lord of Durham, our Lord, made it so. We wouldn’t have come close to winning the World Cup without him. And without him Australia would now be drinking champagne and The Ashes would be gone.

It will take some time to digest what happened today. I was actually at my Mum’s 70th birthday party for most of today so I kept up to speed via sneaky looks at my phone under the table. Fortunately I got home to witness the finale when it became obvious something special was unfolding.

Was this game better than Headingley ’81? I think it might have been. Was it better than Edgbaston ’05. Yes I think it probably was. Stokes played one of the best innings in the history of test cricket. I never want to hear anyone say he’s ‘all hype’ ever again.

There are obviously a few talking points to mention in the aftermath. England’s top order is still a mess. And we basically won because our two best players (Root and Stokes) finally came to the party.

Then there was Marcus Harris’s drop at the death to discuss, and the dreadful umpiring of Joel Wilson. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Stokes was stone dead LBW at the very end but inexplicably given not out. Australia were completely robbed in this regard.

However, unlike New Zealand in the World Cup final, Australia only had themselves to blame. As soon as Paine reviewed that Leach lbw (which was never out in a million years) I turned to my father in law and said “they could well regret that”.

And so it proved. Paine basically cost his side the game through what I can only describe as pure desperation, panic, and stupidity.

But we can talk about all these things another day. Today was Ben Stokes day. And I don’t want anything to detract from that. The bloke is an ‘effin’ legend. He was invincible today. And the Ashes are still very much on … which brings me to my final thought.

Those of you who read this blog frequently will know that the previous article, written on Friday evening, was titled The Day We Kissed The Ashes Goodbye. Sport has a delicious way of making one eat one’s words. And I’ve never been happier to do so.

My only excuse it that this happens to the best of us. I listen to a superb Aston Villa podcast called My Old Man Said. If I ever do a TFT podcast I’ll probably model it on MOMS. With three months of the season still to go, and Villa firmly entrenched in mid-table mediocrity, they did an ‘end of season party’ episode. It was full of doom and gloom and gnashing of teeth.

At that point Villa needed to win ten games in a row simply to have a shot of making the playoffs. And they were playing terribly. None of the contributors gave them a hope in hell.

You can guess what happened next! For those of you who don’t follow football, they won a club record number of games in succession and then beat Derby in an epic encounter in the playoff final in May. They won their first game back in the Premiership on Friday night.

The beauty of sport is that it’s completely unpredictable at times. And it can make even the very best pundits look completely daft. Thank god I don’t do this as a living and have no professional reputation to uphold.

Bob Willis completely wrote England off the other night. He’s currently got the world’s biggest omelette on his face. Meanwhile Jonathan Trott (not to mention England’s batting coach Graham Thorpe), who invited ridicule by suggesting that England could indeed chase over 350 to win, will be feeling rather smug.

Good on ya guys. I guess that’s why you’re the blokes with test averages over 40 and I’m just a dope with a keyboard.

James Morgan

 

81 comments

  • Shame you have to mention football on this most wonderful day for CRICKET.
    When Queenie moves on Stokes could become Head of State.
    Quite astonishing performance. My gob is smacked.

    • Ha ha! Yes sorry. Sometimes this blog is too much of a window into my personal world :-)

      For what it’s worth Ben Stokes is even better than Jack Grealish. I’ll get my coat. Just a sensational performance from a player who is surely the best all rounder in the world now.

    • Lovely stuff. Better than 81? You betcha.

      67 all out. 15-2. 286-9. 73 to win. Urn on the line. Three bottomless holes to dig yourself out of.

      Not the best match ever – too many poor shots – but:

      Best innings ever.

      Most improbable outcome to a sporting contest of any significance.

      And as that noted philosopher Mr Meat Loaf once warranted, two outta three ain’t bad.

      • This series is quite a lot like 81, where a lot of mediocre cricket was played, but the series became an all time classic anyway, since (a) it contained probably the most improbable comeback of all time, and (b) Botham’s outrageous cricket throughout obliterated memories of a lot of stodge served up by batsmen on both sides (what the current England top order wouldn’t do for several courses of stodge). Smith (and his unlikely replacement) for Australia and now Stokes for England have excelled but otherwise the bowlers have pretty consistently held the whip hand.

      • This is, without doubt, the greatest innings played by an English batsman.

        Summer 2019 is the summer of Ben Stokes.

        Enjoy watching the greatest English (batting) all-rounder New Zealand ever produced.

        Seriously, this may be the best innings you, or I, will ever witness.

        Well played Sir Ben.

  • Just shows you can never say never in cricket. Despite the cracks the series is still very much alive. But yeah the umpiring generally has been poor. But when you get a game like this It really doesn’t matter who wins does it. 100 anyone?

    • I second that! In all the excitement I forgot to mention Jack. He’s now up alongside Jimmy, Monty, and Graham Onions (twice) as our tailend heroes at the death #IceCool

      • I’d still edge Headingley ’81just, not only Bothams batting but Willis incredible bowling. Remember too Bothams 5/1 at Edgbaston plus what I think was his best ever hundred at Old Trafford, hooking Lillie for sixes.
        But Stokes today is an extremely close second.

      • If he could get over his tendency to walk accross his stumps leaving the leg exposed he’d be ok to promote above Broad and Archer as a more solid foil to regular batsman. Hazelwood almost had him a couple of times yesterday. Why they bowled round the wicket to him I don’t know as he’s certainly more comfortable with the short ball than Burns.

    • I love watching sport when players at the top level have to stop to clean their glasses. He’s the first cricketer I’ve seen do this tests since David Steele did so whilst fending off the Windies quicks when we were seemingly 23-3 every innings.

  • New fan in US. This must be why folks love this old game. I stood on a street corner on the upper east side for 20 minutes refreshing the BBC site. God bless Jack Leach!!!

    • Yeah, the number 11 keeping the game alive by blocking is a fantastic bit of cricket action.

      • It’s not about action, It’s about drama, which has nothing to do with moronic gun play and car chase type sequences of 20-20. If your’e a true supporter with raw emotion at stake you understand this.

  • As I’ve just said on Twitter all time great match but 05 was better. If 67 all out sounds humiliating – which it was, and is – try the sum total of England in the Ashes 1989 – Lords 05 inclusive. Now that’s true cringe making, excruciating, unworthy-of-the-description-cricket. Add the fact that in 2005 Australia still had a genuinely great side (as they proved emphatically in the 06/07 return series) and Edgbaston 05 is still England’s greatest test victory. Another measure is that very few of the current Aus and Eng sides would make their 05 counterpart teams. (Nor would the television commentators; back then we still had Richie Benaud.)

    I would agree Stokes’ innings was pretty close to the greatest English test innings, though KP at the Oval, Gilbert Jessop in much earlier times, and Basil D’Olivera’s 158 for very different reasons would rival it. (Don’t forget Fred’s all round performance at Edgbaston too). Also Gooch 154 against the Windies deserves a mention.

    Enough carping. As Margaret Thatcher said in a rather different context, just rejoice. We have just had a resounding demonstration of why test cricket is the ultimate sport. Not even the World Cup final came close to today. ECB and BBC please take note.

  • I posted yesterday that Stokes was not delivering the innings to go with the plaudits he was getting. I don’t think I’ll be posting that again. Probably the greatest innings in England ashes history. That might have been plumb lbw but Australia can only have themselves to blame for not putting England out of sight with their second innings, and they completely panicked once Stokes came at them with 1 wicket remaining

  • Just an incredible performance, with contributions from Root, Denly, Bairstow and Leach. But that man Stokes is out of this world. He has to be SPOTY this year.

    They have to dispense with Roy as opening batter for the next test. Also Buttler’s place must be in doubt. Sibley and Foakes??

    • I didn’t see Butler’s dismissal but I think it might have been Ben Stoke’s fault. I’d certainly give him another go next test. If he messes up so be it.

  • I was listening whilst fishing in the sunshine. A great combination.
    It feels like we’ve won the Ashes and tonight it still can.
    As I said to a friend of mine during on a WhatsApp to & fro. Ben Stokes has the absolute right to say to whoever is opening in the next test ‘ Do you reckon you can scores some runs knock the shine off the conker so I don’t have to keep digging us out the shit’ amen….

  • I imagine Stokes called Buttler for a run and then changed his mind so I really don’t think he should be dropped
    I agree,Ian that unless something even more amazing happens between now and Christmas,Stokes has to be SPOTY.
    What I loved was the way Jack Leach kept polishing his glasses at the end of each over.
    Without him ,Ben Stokes could not have done it.

  • Congratulations to Jack Leach, for the greatest ever 1 not out in the history of Test cricket.

    Guess I should mention Ben Stokes, who played a decent knock as well !

  • Really, all you can do is marvel. This was a wonderful innings and, at the risk of making an appearance in Pseud’s Corner, one which potentially redefined the boundaries of the red and white ball games. His innings on Saturday was a model of patience, discipline and unselfishness in support of Root (and let’s not forget his contribution). Who could have equalled or bettered that ? According to my history books, after Bailey and Barrington, no one. His ‘middle period’ – when, in theory, he had recognised batsmen to support him, was as good as any played by the middle order greats. And then, especially once Broad had gone, he played a white ball innings of controlled ferocity such as I have never seen against a top class Test attack. To reach a fifty partnership with Leach who had, at the time, not scored a run…..well, what can you say.

    The only comparison is with 1981, but that is purely superficial. This was one man’s victory.
    Although it is often referred to as Botham’s Test he was primus inter pares. I wouldn’t for a minute denigrate his amazing innings, but Stokes didn’t have a Dilley ( who out scored Both for much of his innings). He carried the innings himself from the minute Root was out.
    Botham’s innings, great as it was, did not win the Test. If I remember correctly, Brearley opened with Dilley and Botham because they had batted so well together. As a result Willis came on later than usual and his bowling feat was therefore all the more remarkable for that.

    Stokes innings was absolutely unique and, I’m prepared to bet, taking everything into account, will never be bettered. Forget the fact that, as far as England is concerned, it changes nothing. Just bask in that warm afterglow and appreciate what we have seen! That’s what I’m doing. And it’s wonderful!

  • Although there were moments when they lost the plot under Stokes’s onslaught, the Australian bowlers maintained pretty good discipline for most of the time. This was not a rubbish attack – Hazlewood, Cummins and Pattinson are among the best and most clinical quick bowlers in the game. Lyon is generally acknowledged to be the top international spinner operating at the moment. So the value of the innings measured by strength of opposition as well as game situation will be right up with the best of the best. But for sheer power of will it really beggars belief, and for the inventiveness with which he monkeyed with the minds of the Australian bowlers during the final phase – the switch hit for 6, and the scoop for 6, as well as that wonderful shot for over square leg for 6, right out of the middle. Where it differed from Botham’s great innings in 1981 is that Botham had a licence to play as he liked, the game being effectively lost when he came in. Stokes was under the pressure for more or less a whole day’s play of carrying the Ashes on his bat. There has never been anything like it, and probably never will be again.

    • He had a capable number 11 in Leach but I can’t believe he made so many runs under that much pressure against a very capable attack.

      I was thinking they might get 30, with a bit of luck. Even when it got down to 30 needed I just thought it couldn’t go on for much longer. The ball couldn’t go on clearing the fielders by a few feet. He had to put one straight up sooner or later.

    • The other factor was an unusually generous Headingly track for a 4th day, which didn’t seam or turn to any great degree, even out of the footmarks. Leach’s dismissal of Head was the only real misbehaving turner in the match. Also the overhead conditions were not conducive for even the duke ball to swing.

  • For me this was perhaps the best test match in last many years and best inning too for a reason

  • Hats of to the Aussies, they were very gracious in defeat and congratulated Stokes, sincerely, to a man. Great to see test cricket played in such a competitive, but good, spirit.

    • Fair point. Even Darren Lehmann tweeted his congratulations. As did Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman incidentally.

    • Maybe at Old Trafford the Aussies will go for 5 bowlers and Stark will get a game. Can’t think of another side in he game at present who’d leave him out for so long. Serves them right for being negative and picking the extra batsman.

  • For Ben Stokes, all the most significant moments of his life over the past couple of years have followed a similar pattern: Feats of brutal hitting that leave the opposition on the deck, assisted by great good fortune and officials making the wrong call at crucial moments…

    Only joking. One of the great innings.

  • All I saw was a disgusting display of #ToxicMasculinity.

    England were right to drop him……

  • Fantastic innings by Sir Ben but I do think all LBW appeals should be reviewed given how useless are umpires like Joell Wilson and Dharmasena. Stokes was plumb LBW and Australia were robbed of victory.
    Moving on to the next Test, I am licking my lips at the prospect of watching Jimmy and Jofra Archer bowl in tandem and now feel England can go on and regain the Ashes.

    • With Stokes playing a vigorous shot to leg and falling over in the process could you really have been sure enough to override giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman. It’s Easy Peasy with slowmo and snicko.

    • Not sure it was that plumb. It seems to glance off the front pad before hitting the back one, which ball tracking missed. Whisper it quietly but Joel Wilson may have got that one right (or at least umpire’s call).

      • You’re right it did flick off the front pad and the ball tracker didn’t pick it. There’s a clear weak spot that needs addressing.

  • Ben Stokes, and the whole day, was amazing! I turned up at Headingley this morning a bit disappointed that the first live test cricket I’ve managed to get to in a decade was today’s — no real hope for England, just seeing how long they managed to bat before the inevitable defeat.

    Then the hope just kept rising. Even with the flurry of wickets in the afternoon, it still somehow seemed possible. I still expected England to lose, but now couldn’t quite work out how: Ben Stokes simply looked like he wasn’t going anywhere.

    The atmosphere during Jack Leach’s innings was ridiculous. Massive cheers for everything, even the stadium announcer reading out the DRS reviews remaining like a classified football result: England 1, Australia 0.

  • Not to downplay Stokes’ incredible innings, but…

    How different would this game have been had Steve Smith been playing? Assume that he was able to rescue Australia’s rather mediocre batting performances and added at least 100 to the run chase…

    • Smith would have been dismissed cheaply twice by Anderson, had Anderson been playing.

      Of course no one has ever rated Headingley 81 because Greg Chappell wasn’t playing, and equally Edgbaston 05 was invalid because McGrath didn’t play.

      Said no pundit in the history of the game

    • With Stokes playing a vigorous shot to leg and falling over in the process could you really have been sure enough to override giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman. It’s Easy Peasy with slowmo and snicko.

    • But Laburschane wouldn’t have been playing if Smith was, so it kind of offsets things.

  • Is there another game in the world that could induce such drama and is there another format of the game made for it like test cricket.
    The surprising thing is 4th day conditions at Headingly were the easiest of the match for batsmen. Even the second new ball didn’t really seam or swing and Lyon got precious little turn from the footmarks. I’m not belittling Stoke’s innings, which was still a great one by any standards, but conditions were made for it.
    The only nigger in the woodpile is the potential Stokes has given our esteemed brain’s trust for longevity. Looks like there will be no inquest into their approach to selection and apart from Roy, who still surely must go and not just be moved down the order, no immediate changes to the present line up. Fortunately the Aussies don’t have a better team and the present levelling out of the series reflects this, as without Smith’s batting and Anderson’s injury we could have easily been in control by now.

      • It’s always seemed ironic to me that’s it’s ok for black guys to call each other ‘nigger’ all the time, whatever fthe context, especially in the USA but when a white guy does it in playful mode PC takes a hand.

        • Isn’t it just like saying, you could greet a brother or an old friend with “how are you, you old cunt?” –but if a near-stranger did it to the same person they might well get decked. Context is everything.

          In this case, the context is that you’re not likely to get lynched as the end of the sequence that starts with you being called a nigger.

        • Wow, there is no playful way for a white man to use that derogatory and disgusting slur. Just because it is ok for black men and women to reclaim the word that was used against them by white people for centuries does absolutely in no way make it ok for you to say it.
          You should be ashamed of yourself.

  • England got kissed on the dick once again by a glaring umpiring mistake at a crucial juncture.

    • The umpiring has been poor but it has cost both teams. England have probably used the reviews better.

      • To be fair I wouldn’t have given Stokes out LBW either as he was falling over at the time making it almost impossible to judge the line. Benefit of the doubt has a.ways been a batsman’s prerogative.

    • And by the Aussies missing catches and run-outs because they couldn’t believe they were losing…

  • Well the umpiring and review decisions has been very poor, but Aussie missed two run outs and a catch to get him out as well. That’s cricket with a side under pressure. If Warne had caught Peterson on single figures at the Oval in 2005, Aussie would have won the game and the Ashes, but they didn’t.

  • On early Saturday morning I read your piece “The Day we Kissed the Ashes Goodbye” and commented as below

    “Michael August 24, 2019 at 5:14 am – Reply Report comment
    Disappointed, despair (well yesterday) but it is a new day and I am going to the Test Match. We will bowl them out before lunch, opening stand of a hundred and Ben Stokes will score the winning runs Sunday morning. All will be forgiven. Come on England.”

    What motivated the comment was hope and prospect of being at the game as well as a slight irritation with all my fellow England followers writing off the team and picking new ones. I did and do believe that mostly this is the best England team we have at present. However I did expect England to lose and we would show respect and admire the Australian performance. They are an amazing Cricket nation.

    After a terrible Friday when everyone was so disappointed all I wanted was the England team to show what they can do. Saturday was as hot as it gets in England and utterly absorbing as we gradually defended our way back into the game. My son and I would not comment or show signs of optimism but at close we were still in the game thanks to the two Joes (Root and Denly).

    Sunday as we set off for the game I did have some hope but was prepared for disappointment. Magnificent as the Australian bowling had been on Saturday the pitch did seem easier. Jonny Bairstow innings was just what was needed against the new ball and at lunch as I discussed the game (cooling down under the Headingley stands) with my cricket loving family and friends we all ,I think, had hope but did not dare express.

    Nearly all hope was lost when Josh Buttler was run out and I thought how well Australia had played. The way Ben Stokes went about defeating those great bowlers and the field settings assisted by Jack Leach was just unbelievable. The massive sixes just going beyond Aussie hands, the dropped catch just in front of where I was sitting (it was a very difficult chance) and the missed run out just added to the fairy tale that was happening in front of our eyes. Powerful and ruthless batting that gave back hope and turned everything to joy as first we first got level and then won. Ben Stokes like a colossus arms aloft in the baking sunshine as everyone around us just lost all sense of decorum and cheered and roared our hero.

    `The crowd stayed on mostly showing respect for Australia at the presentation ceremony and sharing with wide eyes what we had just seen, snapping photos and just savouring the heat and atmosphere.

    I will never ever forget Headingley 19 for all sorts of reasons. It was Cricket and Sport live at its best. Will read everything, watch the replays and listen to the TMS last hour on BBC Sounds App. When I am old I will hopefully bore my grandchildren with the stories of this game. Thank you Ben Stokes, Jack Leach and the rest of the team.

  • Miracles do happen twice in Yorkshire! Fantastic test match and a performance for the ages from Sir Ben. Let’s not forget that he bowled a 24 over spell too.

    I have a ticket for Friday at Old Trafford. It will be interesting to see whether the Australians can recover from this or whether 2019 will be remembered as Stokes’ Ashes in the same way 1981 is always called Botham’s.

  • I’ve sat through every ball.. it was amazing

    Proper test cricket which then exploded st the end as tests can

    Perfect advert for the game and the buzz it’s created already easily surpasses the World Cup!! This drama, finish to a test shows how valuable this format actually is when played properly and supported by the governing bodies

    Fantastic from denly, root, Stokes… and leech. Don’t under estimate the pressure he was under .. the lad was shaking when out there

    He also showed what you can do with simple technique and a clear mid set..

    Roy, buttler and Bairstow need to go

  • I watched the last day in my local in Dublin, Ireland where the pecking order is horse racing, soccer, gaelic football and hurling, rugby and golf. Fortunately there was a spare satellite available so I got to see all of the play. In the end, the whole pub, including the non cricket-lovers (90 per cent of the audience) was glued to the screen. It was a joyous end to a joyous test and whets the appetite for two more great tests to come, hopefully.

  • I watched it all unfold in a small open air bar here in Malta. Got the owner to get the cricket on for me. The more hammered I got the easier it was to imagine England winning. Two trips to the loo coincided with Butler and Woakes getting out. I resolved then to watch it through, so I stopped the beer and went on the G@T’s. When Stokes hit the winning boundary, you could say relief flooded through me and from me. What a day, only equalled by the WC Final, if that. Like that game, the aftermath is a floating haze. Living here in Malta is great, weather etc. But today the sun is just that little bit brighter, and my hangover, well it went after my third viewing of the highlights. May patent this as a cure.

    • Because the purpose of the England selectors and management is to kiss Jonny Bairstow’s arse no matter what he does

  • Wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention how gracious Paine was in defeat. Can you imagine Smith doing his impression of a bulldog licking pee off a thistle if he had been skipper. If I could say something to Smith, Warner, and Bancroft, sometimes you have to take the rough with the smooth. I’ll get me coat

  • Am I alone in blaming Stokes for the non run out of Leach courtesy of a third eleven school boy howler by Lyons? Having executed a lovely reverse sweep, Stokes thought that he had won the game and was celebrating with his back to Leach. It would have been a simple and safe run had he been concentrating.I agree with Boycott, however, that this was the greatest test innings I have ever seen since I first watched England play India at the Oval in 1946. Against 4 of the best bowlers in World cricket.

    Boycott also on TV5 advocated Leach to open the batting for England. He couldn’t do any worse than Roy! Woakes and Roy must go. Foakes for Bairstow? debatable. Bring in Anderson, of course if fit and Sam Curran for Roy. The whole England batsmen must play the way Root, Denly and Stokes played in the second innings. Defend your wicket until the ball softens and the bowlers are tired. Real Test match batting. OK, that leaves us without another recognised opening batsman, just like we were in the other tests.

    • Higher than Botham’s average! We should remember that Stokes is an all rounder, has two skills to practice / develop, and often has a large workload before he bats. If he gave up bowling and focused exclusively on his batting I think he’d average over 40.

      What’s more, the sign of a good player is rising to the occasion. Players like Brad Haddin, Ian Healy, Allan Lamb, didn’t necessary score runs all the time. But they invariably made their runs when the team desperately needed it. What’s more, some players (like Pietersen in some ways) save their best for the best opposition & biggest occasions. They just can’t get up for a game against SL at home in front of a half empty stadium. I think Stokes very much fits into this bracket.

      I often criticised Alastair Cook for the fact he saved his runs for benign wickets and easy opposition and went missing against the very best (who seemed to find him out). He never made an Ashes century at home for example. Personally I’d take a Ben Stokes any day. He can’t score an average boosting 200 against the West Indies on a featherbed, but his innings yesterday was worth ten of those imho.

      • You make some good points.

        Ultimately, a player’s average is a measure of their consistency over their whole career. And so far, Stokes has been extremely inconsistent as a Test batter.

        If he carries on playing like he did yesterday, he could end up averaging 45. He definitely has the potential to do that.

        • I could see your point if he was a specialist batsman–but how many all-rounders average more than 35?

          Having checked, both Keith Miller and Imran Khan averaged around 37, and I can think of Sobers, Kallis, Al-Hasan and Greig who average over 40. But it’s really not that common. In 140-something years of Tests, England have produced one!

          • There’s a big difference between a bowling all-rounder (like Botham or Imran) and a batting all-rounder (Sobers, Kallis, Shakib, Greig).

            If you’re a batting all-rounder, you’re a batter first and a bowler second. If you’re a batter first, then you need to be batting in the top 6 — and therefore averaging 40+.

            • Stokes had a very poor start to his career, messed around being put up and down the order. His average at number is 5 is very good and I think his last 30 tests he’s averaged over 40 with the bat and 27 with the ball. Averages aren’t always the best measure of a batsman or bowler.

      • There’s been plenty of criticism of Stokes on this blog as overrated but his batting average is above either Botham or Flintoff and his bowling average is also above Flintoff and close to Botham, who had the benefit of the Packer era early on in his test career, where a lot of decent players were banned from test cricket. People also seemed to conveniently forgotten that brilliant 250 he scored in South Africa against a decent attack. I don’t believe either Botham or Flintoff could have done that. Stokes has yet to hit the heights as a bowler but is certainly showing signs of improvement on that front.

        • “People also seemed to conveniently forgotten that brilliant 250 he scored in South Africa”

          One great innings doesn’t make a great batter

    • Stokes average will improve as he’s promoted in the order. It’s difficult to maintain a high average around 6 when you’re soon joined by tail Enders and have to take more risks.
      To me he still has to find a style of his own, rather than switching between all out defence and all out attack, but he won’t be able to do this till he’s given more of a chance to build an innings higher up the order where he’s got better batsmen to make partnerships with.
      Neither Botham or FLintoff were ever trusted above five as their bowling was more important and we had better batsmen higher up the order. If they came off great if they didn’t not a disaster.

      • “It’s difficult to maintain a high average around 6…”

        Not true. Plenty of Test no. 6s have 40+ batting averages.

  • I do hope that in the post-match euphoria, Ed Smith and his puppet don’t make the mistake of selecting the same team, but I have a horrible feeling that they will.

    • Yeah. Even back in 1981, after Botham had won two tests for England, Mike Brearley wasn’t afraid to change a winning team. Knott for Taylor, Tavare for Willey. Underwood brought into the squad in place of Dilley (they didn’t make starting XIs for fifth and fourth tests respectively). And Allott for Old was forced because of injury. England kept winning and Tavare and Knott made the team so much stronger.

      Even if I did believe in not changing a winning team, the only winning team here was Stokes, Leach, Archer, Broad and Woakes. This wasn’t eleven players all mucking in together.

      I think we’ll be lucky to get Sibley for Roy. Somehow, 62 runs over two innings will be enough for Denly to hang around with his last warning still dangling in front of him (probably because one of those scores was over 50). There’s talk of it being unfair to drop Buttler because he was run out by Stokes – why don’t we just pretend he scored 1 not out in the second to go with his 5 in the first? In which case, he failed. And then there’s YJB. 4 in the first and let’s not pretend that scoring 36 and throwing his wicket away in the second was anything resembling a good performance.

      Sibley, Pope, Curran and Foakes for Roy, Denly, Buttler and Bairstow. Or Hildreth rather than Curran. It’s what Alex Ferguson would do,

  • They won’t play Hildreth in a million years and quite frankly Curran was pants in his last Championship game. I’d like to see Northeast in there but I agree Pope and Sibley. Foakes batting has gone right of this season. Is Anderson passed fit? However I reckon they’ll go with exactly the same side because it’s how Ed Smith operates.

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