Months after scripting an unlikely chase to help England win their maiden World Cup title, Ben Stokes turned hero again as he engineered another sensational run-chase to take England to a one-wicket win in the third Test of the Ashes series, at Headingley in Leeds.
By lunchtime of day 4, England were looking hopeful of winning against Australia, with a healthy score of 238-4 and many of their best batsmen still available, with a target of 359.
Post lunch, England lost five wickets to set the game almost certainly on a path of victory for Australia. But, this was until Ben Stokes found his element and, with a series of boundaries, took England to their first win this series.
Towards a nail-biting finish, Stokes took a gutsy shot, which saw the batsmen try for a single and then change their minds, almost too late! Lyon was ready with the ball but stumbled, costing Austraila the match! England were kept alive. The next ball may have clipped Stoke’s front pad, but Australia had used up their reviews and could not appeal. The camera showed, then, without doubt, that DRS would have made it a wicket.
Leach came on strike in the final over against Cummins and levelled the score. Stokes hit the next ball for a four giving England the match. Unbeaten, Stokes had it for his team with 135 runs. England won by one wicket.
Earlier in the morning, Joe Root went out after scoring 77 off 205.
England’s chances post-lunch plummeted after the team lost five wickets — Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad. Throughout it all, Ben Stokes managed to hang on until the very end.
From a situation where England faced certain defeat, Stokes somehow turned the tides and proved, yet again, that he could carry his team by himself. The left-handed vice-captain hung on till the very end, stealing a victory from Australia courtesy a series of boundaries while on strike as the final batsman.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood took two wickets after lunch, making a total of four wickets in this innings, and keeping England just that much farther away from victory.
Earlier, Bairstow and Stokes set a partnership of 79 runs off 111 balls, restoring England’s chances. But, Bairstow fell just after the lunch break, as he was bowled by Hazlewood and caught by Wade.
Keeping England’s hopes alive, a little after lunch break, Ben Stokes struck a half-century in 152 balls — his slowest in Tests so far. He is the only one left to carry England through this Test, having lost Buttler after the latter made a run without looking at the field. Marcus Harris ran him out from midwicket, leaving Stokes alone to finish the job with England at 253-6.
After scoring just one run in eight balls, Woakes was taken out by Hazlewood, who bowled five short balls in a row before ending with a full ball, which Woakes hit to a comfortable catch by Wade.
Jofra Archer came up to bat, building a partnership with Stokes that earned England 25 runs. Pattinson dealt a maiden over with Archer on strike, following which Stokes came on board and hit a four, keeping England hanging in the game.
A few overs later, Archer was caught out on a delivery by Lyon, leaving England at 286/8. This looked like the beginning of the end for England, as Stuart Broad came on to face just two balls before going out on an lbw by Pattinson.
This left England with just Stokes and Leach to keep alive dreams of an Ashes victory.
In the final overs, Stokes managed four sixes to loud roars from the stadium, making his Test century off 199 deliveries with a four. Stokes followed this up with two sixes back to back.
Leach gave Stokes excellent company, staying unbeaten on one and playing out 17 deliveries. With eleven fours and eight sixes, Stokes had pulled off a miracle — England had successfully pulled off their highest-ever run chase in Ashes history.