Ben Stokes produces one of the great Test match innings to lift England to victory
In one of the greatest Test innings of all time Ben Stokes has lifted England to a to a barely believable 1-wicket victory against Australia, leaving the series all square with two Tests to play.
Ben Stokes won the third Test and rescued the Ashes for England with an unforgettable hundred at Headingley that had to be seen to be believed.
England’s World Cup hero turned Ashes superhero with a stunning long hand performance, pummelling Australia’s bowlers with 135 runs that turned almost certain defeat in to a win for the ages.
The entire country rose as one when Stokes smashed his 11th four to give England a one-wicket victory, in a history-making 359 run chase, to insert this Test in to a fast-growing library of Ashes epics.
Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
Stokes bettered the 1981 heroics of Ian Botham, when he smashed 149 not out off 148 balls at the same ground, playing an innings plenty in the immediate aftermath labelled the best ever.
The all-rounder scored 74 of England’s last 72 runs, off just 42 balls, with only one wicket in hand in an unstoppable, man-of-the match display.
But in a game that had everything, controversy also marred the final few minutes.
With England needing just two runs to win, a huge LBW appeal against Stokes, with Nathan Lyon bowling, was turned down by umpire Joel Wilson.
Australia had burned its last review the over before, and were cursing yet another DRS stuff-up when replays showed the ball was hitting Stokes’ leg-stump.
The ball before Lyon also missed run-out chance that could also have given Australia a win, and sealed the Ashes, when Stokes’ last batting partner Jack Leach was left stranded mid-pitch,
But Stokes would not be denied, with a history-making run chase on his shoulders alone
England still needed 73 runs to win when Leach joined him at the crease, and Australia just one more wicket to retain the Ashes.
When @GeoffreyBoycott says it’s the Greatest Test innings he has seen in 60 yrs watching the game you know it’s the GREATEST @benstokes38 !!! #Ashes
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 25, 2019
I can’t believe I’ve just seen that. I don’t think any words can really do that innings justice. We have a new Headingley 81 #Headingley19
— Jonathan Agnew (@Aggerscricket) August 25, 2019
But wielding his bat like a weapon of mass destruction, Stokes clobbered boundary after boundary leaving Australian captain Tim Paine with no clue how to stop him.
Leach only scored one run in their final 76-run stand as Stokes hit eight sixes, finding gaps among fielders patrolling the boundary exclusively when he was facing.
He was dropped by Marcus Harris in the outfield when there was 17 still to get.
But Stokes kept swinging. He sent for another bat, but kept swinging.
He took Nathan Lyon to pieces as the Australian spinner, who went past Dennis Lillee for Test wickets when he removed Joe Root earlier in the morning, was found wanting.
Root’s dismissal was supposed to be the beginning of the end. But Jonny Bairstow did briefly what Stokes did for longer and his quick fire 36 before lunch put Australia on the back foot.
But Australia’s bowlers stole back the ascendancy after the break, as Josh Hazlewood took 2-9, and when Stuart Broad was out for a duck, England had lost 5-41.
Then, however, with only one way home, Stokes went berserk.
He made Australia’s star bowlers look second rate, and sent the Ashes to Manchester 1-1, with the return of Steve Smith and maybe England quick Jimmy Anderson to ensure both teams have plenty of questions to answer if they want to hold the urn.
Originally published as Ben Stokes produces one of the great Test match innings to lift England to victory