Ben Stokes is no stranger to the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium, having hit his maiden Indian Premier League at the same venue in 2017. Despite having had a quiet tournament so far, Stokes finally came to the party to set up England’s win over the Netherlands in its penultimate World Cup fixture.
Stokes’ stroke-filled century and his 129-run partnership with Chris Woakes for the seventh wicket ensured Dawid Malan’s good work at the top did not go waste.
Also Read | Battle for the wooden-spoon? Not really as England and the Netherlands chase something big
Once England ran away with the last 10 overs to pile on 339 for nine, its highest tally of the tournament, the Netherlands crumbled in the chase.
The 160-run win — only the second win for the defending champion — meant England remained in the race to finish in top eight and qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Had it not been for Stokes and Woakes’ pyrotechnics, it may have been staring down the barrel in the European Derby.
Stokes took guard in the 21st over after Joe Root’s attempted reverse-nothing shot resulted in the ball squeezing between his pads and crashing into the stumps.
At 133 for two, and Malan racing towards his second century, England was in control.
But Malan was involved in a needless run-out soon after and Netherlands choked the run-flow to put an underwhelming England middle-order in distress. The Netherlands picked five for 59 in the 15-over passage to leave England reeling at 192 for six in the 36th.
Stokes had held one end together and he found an ally in Woakes.
Also Read | Never underestimate a wounded buffalo: Ryan van Niekerk about England
Even when the latter was playing freely, the former preferred to be restrained.
Only in the 43rd over did the left-hander open his shoulders up to dispatch Bas de Leede over midwicket fence to raise his fifty.
Floodgates open
That over opened the floodgates as England added a whopping 110 runs in the last eight overs.
Off-spinner Aryan Dutt, the pick of the Dutch bowlers with figures of 9-0-43-2 — was taken to the cleaners in his last over.
On either side of a contentious lbw DRS review going in Stokes’ favour, the left-hander tonked three sixes and a four off Dutt in the 45th over that went for 24 runs.
Reverse sweep
He brought up his hundred by reverse-sweeping pacer Paul van Mekereen in the 48th over.
Woakes went after de Leede in the next over to bring up his fifty to take the target well out of the Netherlands’ reach.
The England bowling unit complemented the batting group’s effort as it picked up wickets at regular intervals to seal things in the 38th over.
