For Ben Stokes, glory. For New Zealand, ignominy. In the space of a couple of weeks England’s Test captain has gone from being history to making it, and in just his third match after reversing his decision to retire from one-day internationals Stokes thrashed 182 off 124 balls, the highest score by an Englishman in the format, to inspire his side to a one-sided, 181-run win.
Arriving at the crease with England 13 for two and in trouble, Stokes left it with the score 348 for six and victory all but certain, along the way compiling a 199-run partnership with the excellent Dawid Malan. But if his innings is England’s greatest in the format, it was not altogether great: for a while it was downright scruffy, a tale of mistimed heaves, of miscues and edges. Once he started to middle it, however, the bowlers’ averages, the spectators’ personal safety and a variety of national records were in danger, and there were some fabulous strikes as he motored towards history.
