When Ben Stokes walked in, England was struggling at 13 runs for the loss of 2 wickets, facing pressure from New Zealand’s bowlers. While it wasn’t quite the intensity of a World Cup final, this innings by Stokes was a standout performance. Partnering with David Malan, he added 165 runs from 46 overs. Stokes then went on to play a record-breaking innings himself, scoring 182 runs in 124 balls. Later in the innings, he also contributed to a 187-run partnership with the rest of the England team. With a massive win by 181 runs in a high-scoring match, England went ahead 2-1 in the 4-match series.
Stokes’ performance was remarkable, especially given the circumstances of the match. He faced the question of how prepared he was for a comeback after a break. He answered that question with a fantastic innings. After scoring a fifty in just 44 balls, he continued to accelerate, reaching his century in just 76 balls. In the process, he hit 15 fours and 9 sixes.
This century was Stokes’ fourth in One Day Internationals (ODIs). His last century had come in June 2017. This time, he not only completed a century but also went on to score the highest individual innings by an English batsman in ODIs, surpassing Jason Roy’s 180 runs against Australia in 2018.
Stokes’ century was a crucial part of England’s innings. When he came to bat, England was at 5 wickets for 348 runs. He carried the innings forward, and England eventually scored 368 runs, still with 11 balls to spare, continuing their aggressive approach.
Stokes’ partnership with the bat was phenomenal, but New Zealand’s Trent Boult also made an impact with the ball. In his 46-ball innings, Stokes hit 76 runs before falling to Boult. Boult’s wicket-taking abilities were highlighted as he took a total of 5 wickets, including the crucial wicket of Stokes.
After Stokes’ dismissal, England’s innings slowed down a bit, but they still managed to set a formidable total. The match, however, is not over yet, and New Zealand will need an outstanding performance to chase down the target. Records are there to be broken, and this match has already provided a thrilling display of batting prowess from Stokes and England.
