There. are moments when the heavenly forces combine and we are showered with gold. That was the moment when Ben Stokes, (Sir Ben Stokes) belted the ball to the boundary at Headingly and England won the Third Test.
Yesterday the collapse of England's opening batsmen was halted by a disciplined knock from Captain Joe Root. The opening batsmen had displayed a disreputable lack of fundamental batting technique, they looked like cats caught in the headlights as Australia's fast bowlers peppered them with bouncers. Instead of playing defensive batting they simply struggled to know what to do and it was embarrassing to watch. With Roots arrival the ship steadied and as he and Ben Stokes began to play proper test cricket the second innings total of 359 seemed not completely impossible. England have never chased and reached such a second innings total and after the capitulation for 67 all out in the first innings England looked woefully inadequate against a good pace bowling attack.
Roots contribution was short lived on the 4th day and it was left to Stokes to salvage the game. The odds were against him. 150 runs to win and whilst Barstow remained there it seemed possible but then the dreaded English lurgy struck again. That lack of technique and discipline, allowing the bat to wander after a wide ball which he should have left alone. Bairstow was out with still a hundred and twenty left on the board and we were down to the tailenders, bowlers who could bat a bit but no one, other than Stokes who could be called a batsman. Eventually the last man walked out to the centre with still over 70 runs to get, impossible.
Stokes who only recently had been left out of the team for brawling in the streets is one of those irascible people who, larger than life who wear their hearts on their sleeve and kick at the norms in life. Rumbustious would be a better description and in this situation with all the record books against him he proceeded to do it in style. Sixes followed sixes, fours followed fours and the 70 runs came tumbling down from 70 to 50, to 19 to 9 and then 2 how could it be possible, the omens would have their revenge, he would be out with only 1 run needed but no, with a magnificent flourish he hit the ball to the boundary and England, against all the odds had won the match.
Stokes deserves to be knighted, not a single member of that rapturous crowd would demure, only the shell shocked Aussies, who just couldn't believe their eyes.
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