It hasn’t even been a month since former skipper Eoin Morgan announced his international retirement. But now, England find themselves in the middle of another shocker of a news. Their darling all-rounder Ben Stokes has decided to retire from ODI cricket.
The 31-year-old’s decision to retire from One Day Internationals comes mere months after being appointment as England’s test skipper and July 19’s England versus South Africa ODI is set to be Stokes’ ODI farewell game.
Despite featuring in just 104 ODI games in his career (excluding today’s game), Ben Stokes did manage to string a slew of notable performance together. Below, we are going to look at three such top performances from the England all-rounder’s One Day career.
3: 99(52) vs India, 2021
The second ODI of England’s 2020/21 tour of India was held at Maharashtra Cricket Stadium, Pune. England’s response to the 337-run run-chase started on a positive note as the Roy-Bairstow duo added 110 runs for the first wicket itself.
However, the task at hand needed much more. That ‘much more’ came in the form of a Ben Stokes special.
Fellow red-head Jonny Bairstow alongside, Ben Stokes stitched a 175-run-partnership for the second wicket. The last 11 balls of the latter’s 52-ball-stay –especially– were destruction personified. The all-rounder went on a six-hitting spree to smoke 6 maximums and 49 runs off that period.
England eventually won the match with more than six overs in hand. The Ben Stokes blitzkrieg played a pivotal role.
2: 102*(109) vs Australia, CT 2017
One of the southpaw’s lesser known heroics came during the 2017 Champions League group-stage encounter between Australia and England where he scored the last of his three ODI tons.
Chasing 278, a Bairstow-less England looked down and out at 6 for 2. But Ben Stokes staged a cunning fight. First, he cautioned his way through the new-ball ordeal. Then, he took it head-on against the likes of Starc, Cummins, and Stoinis’ other half (Adam Zampa).
He reached his 108-ball-100 through a cover-driven four off the Aussie leggie before rain intervention stopped the play.
But by that point, England were already 40 runs ahead by D/L method and eventually came out victorious due to the same.
1. 84*(98) vs NZ, WC 2019 Final
I know that you all already know about this. But still, I gotta cover it. Orders.
So, England were 71 for three at the twenty over mark. 15 runs later, Eoin was also undone. NZ were bossing the 2019 World Cup finale. The run-rate had crept to run-a-ball and England had no other batter left in their ranks except Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, who were already on the pitch.
But then, Lord’s lit up in the most dramatic manner possible.
Stokes stormed his way to a well-made 84 not-out to share a 110-run-stand with Jos Buttler. Even after Buttler fell, Stokes continued his assault and mustered 46 more with the tail.
The three lions needed 15 off the last over and Boult had the ball in hand. The game tilted NZ’s way. Nonetheless, ‘Stokesy’ walked to the off pole on the third delivery of the over and sent it packing over long-on fence with nonchalance. Later, England got lucky with a four that came off an unintentional deflection off the left-hander’s bat. The 50-overs game was a tie and went on to a super over.
There too, Stokes aced his part by scoring 8 off 3 to help England post 15 on the board. The Black Caps could only match that score as the hosts won the World Cup finale on boundary count. Seven of them had come off Ben Stokes’ bat.
The Christchurch-born was adjudged the Player of The Match as England lifted their first-ever ODI World Cup.