England’s main man has delivered a stunning performance in the third match of the series against New Zealand at The Oval. Ben Stokes smashed 182 runs off just 124 balls, making it the highest score by an England player in one-day internationals.
Ben Stokes surpassed the previous record of 180 runs set by Jason Roy against Australia in Melbourne in 2018. His innings included an impressive nine sixes and 15 fours, making it the 24th highest individual score ever in the 50-over format.
Stokes’ incredible performance highlighted why England was so eager to bring him out of ODI retirement ahead of the team’s defense of the Cricket World Cup title in India next month. His form suggests that he will play a influential and decisive role in the World Cup for England.
His contribution helped England amass a total of 368 all out, which will be a tough target for New Zealand to chase down at the Oval. At one stage, particularly in the later part of his innings, Stokes was hitting boundaries at will and New Zealand looked in real trouble.
England’s early batting collapse saw them at 13-2 after 16 balls, with Trent Boult dismissing Jonny Bairstow for a duck off the very first ball of the innings, followed by Joe Root’s dismissal for just four runs. However, Ben Stokes and Dawid Malan turned the game around with a magnificent partnership of 199 runs for the third wicket.
Stokes’ incredible knock of 182 runs off just 124 balls, which included nine sixes and 15 fours. Dawid Malan’s impressive innings of 96 runs off 95 balls was equally important in helping England post a mammoth total of 368 all out. The duo sent New Zealand’s bowlers to all corners of the ground, showing some real intent with the bat as Jos Buttler said after the previous match.
A bit of worry for England would be their batting collapse towards the end of the innings. Trent Boult was the standout performer for New Zealand. He finished with impressive figures of 5-51, taking crucial wickets to restrict England’s run-scoring.
England’s regular opener Jason Roy missed out on the match due to a back spasm, which had also kept him out of the first two games of the series. His continued absence raises doubts about his availability for the upcoming World Cup, which is set to begin in just three weeks.
In Roy’s absence, Harry Brook was given a chance to prove his worth in the England team. Brook is pushing hard to replace Roy or another batter in the World Cup squad. However, he was left out of the team to accommodate the return of Dawid Malan, who missed the second ODI after his wife gave birth to their son on Saturday.
New Zealand also faced a setback as they left out spinner Mitchell Santner, who had jarred his knee while fielding in the second ODI. England won that match by 79 runs, leveling the four-match series. The final match of the series will be played at Lord’s on Friday, and both teams will be looking to end the series on a high note.
