Ben Stokes 135* – the greatest ever test innings?
Test cricket has its detractors. Attendances are down globally for red ball cricket as the shinier, noisier, brasher formats of the game gobble up TV revenue and ticket sales. 5 days is a long time to keep people’s attention in an internet saturated, information-overloaded world and yet last week, Ben Stokes managed to set not only the back pages but also the front pages of newspapers and websites around the planet on fire with what many experts have described as the greatest ever innings.
The third Ashes Test at Headingley was do or die for England as they trailed 1-0 in the series. The famous urn was heading back to Australia unless England could somehow snatch a win. The fates however, were favouring England as Steve Smith, still struggling with the effects of a horrific blow to the upper neck from a Joffra Archer bouncer, sat out the match. Take away Smith’s scores from Australia’s previous totals and form and fortune seemed definitely to tilt in England’s favour. Added to that Joe Root won the toss and on a rainy, overcast day 1 set his bowlers loose on Australia.
Warner, in crushingly poor form, wrestled his way to a very respectable 61 and ironically, Marnus Labuschagne, Smith’s concussion replacement, took his chance with an excellent 74. But the rest crumbled under the combined heat of Broad, Woakes and Archer succumbing to a very modest 179 all out.
All England need do was amass and bat sensibly through their very talented middle order. Instead, they collapsed to one of their worst ever test totals. Skittled for an utterly pathetic 67 all out. Joe Denly top scored with 12… The ashes were heading down under and English hopes were dashed.
But test cricket is different to all other formats. You get two bites at the cherry.
Australia went in to bat in their second innings already 112 runs to the good and with good reason to believe that the initial prognosis of a return to form for England prior to the match, was firmly debunked.
Once again Marnus Labuschagne proved to be the glue around which a slightly improved, but in no way spectacular, second innings coalesced. With a clutch of 20s and 30s the Aussies finished up on 246 all out, stretching England’s total to win to a whopping 359 runs. That would be England’s highest ever 4th innings run chase. Nobody gave them a hope in hell.
It didn’t take long for the Baggy Greens to start whooping as both England openers fell cheaply and they were already bowling at Root with a barely dented new ball. On a pair and desperate for some luck and form in his unfamiliar number 3 position, Root dug in with Denly. The pundits cooed at the stout defence and smart leaving of tricky balls outside the off stump. Some sense of proper test match batting had returned to English hearts and minds. Denly grafted to 50 and then fell. In a reshuffle of the order, Stokes, rated by Geoffrey Boycott as England’s second best batsman came in at number 5.
The test was stern, and Stokes struggled to get in, taking an enormous 50 balls to score just 2 runs. But strikingly he didn’t get out, didn’t take any risks, leaving his skipper to score slowly and steadily at the other end. By end of play on the evening of the fourth test both men were still in and England’s score had crept up to respectability with 5 wickets in hand. They couldn’t could they?
Day five began with calamity for England as Root was caught by the seemingly glue-handed Warner. It appeared they couldn’t after all, as all the experts declared sagely that without Root batting very deep, England’s chances dropped right back to about 10%.
Bairstow bristled his way to the crease on his home ground and the Western Terraces responded, as did Stokes. The run rate rose sharply as did the boundaries as the pair put on a brave fight back which just started to set nerves jangling a little in the visiting supporters minds. But Bairstow came and went for 36 and a farcical mix up ended Jos Buttler’s innings on a big fat zero.
The mood darkened as the predatory Aussies rattled through Woakes, Archer and Broad for peanuts. Stokes remained at the crease defiant. His technique, power, confidence and most importantly, belief still intact. Out came Jack Leach, number 11, fresh off the boost of a 92 against Ireland, looking more like a geography teacher with steamed up specs, than England’s great sporting hope.
The do or die of the match, the series, came down to this last partnership. England needed a massive 73 to win. Stokes decided enough was enough and let rip.
Having notched up just 2 from 50 balls at the start of his innings, he racked up 84 runs from just 67 balls at the back end. The Headingley crowd went into a frenzy of anxious celebration. Six after six, Stokes bludgeoned the total ever upwards and in combination with Leach’s incredible concentration at the other end, they got closer and closer.
Mitchell Johnson, commentating for TMS on the BBC said that he was literally shaking with excitement, and even though his heart was with Australia to win, the experience of witnessing what Stokes was doing, transcended any partisanship.
The target started to loom rapidly towards the players on the field and the shock and awe of Stokes’ masterful batting took its toll on Aussie nerves. Harris lunged and got fingertips to a catch before spilling at third man. Nathan Lyon, one of world cricket’s finest fielders, fluffed the easiest of run-outs, fumbling the ball as Leach dove back to safety. Lyon once again denied as an lbw shout, inexplicably given not-out by the umpire, couldn’t be reviewed as Australia had burned through theirs wastefully earlier.
The tension was immense. Stokes literally hid his eyes as Leach faced those crucial balls at the tail end of every agonising over. The commentators were incredulously shouting into their microphones as each hit dragged England closer and closer to the finishing line and a truly historic run chase. Stokes speaking afterwards admitted that his nerves had begun to shred when the total got under 10.
Fans of every cricketing nation were hooked to the drama. One man single-handedly dragging his team, his nation, back from the abyss to the edge, the razor-sharp edge of glory. Did he nudge and fumble his way to a winning single? No. He cracked the last ball of the match for four, held both arms high above his head, leaned back and roared like the king of the jungle and Headingley roared back in unison.
The highest ever England run chase by a man who just 6 weeks earlier had single-handedly dragged England through the unspeakable tension of a super-over to raise aloft the World Cup. And here he was, surpassing even that achievement to bring England level in the series and to draw such acclaim from the cricketing fraternity that nearly all universally agree that it was the greatest ever test innings by anyone.
Time will tell if England can capitalise and regain the ashes, lifting this series into the glories of Botham’s 81 series or the spectacular 2005 Ashes. But surely for all that were there on that sun kissed Yorkshire day, this innings, this incredible event, will live with them for the rest of their days as the greatest cricketing achievement they will ever witness.
But then again, this is Ben Stokes we are talking about. He might go and top it all in his next innings.
The fourth Ashes test starts at Old Trafford on 4th September. The series is level at 1-1. Steve Smith will be back in the batting line up for Australia. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Test match cricket is more grippingly alive than it has been for years.
Game on!
