Ben Stokes was scheduled to play golf this week in a different reality.
Stokes was supposed to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which starts on Thursday, while he was still a former member of England’s one-day squad.
Instead, Stokes was taking on the New Zealand bowling attack after his one-day retirement was ended, hitting 182 to set a new mark for the highest score by an England hitter in an ODI.
Stokes admitted that he felt “a little sour” about missing the PGA. I was fine because I mainly played golf today.
Stokes was seated in the same sports hall at The Oval beneath the stands where, less than two months earlier, he had dodged a group of reporters about his plans for the months following the Ashes.
Ben Stokes’ record inning demonstrates that England can win the World Cup despite everything
Stokes announced he would not be making himself available for the World Cup the day before the last Test against Australia and would instead be using the time to repair his left knee.
Everything was a ploy. Stokes was already aware that plans were being made for his 50-over comeback in time for England’s world championship defense in India in October and November.
There was no indication of the trick, which is maybe not surprising given the chip-all-in Ashes heroics at Headingley or the ice-cold execution of crucial run chases in the World Cup finals for the 50-over and 20-over formats in 2019 and 2022, respectively. Stokes had the ideal poker face.
He said, “It was, wasn’t it?” Over a lengthy period of time, I had received several inquiries regarding my knee. I was aware that I would be participating in these contests and even the World Cup. I said that to make you all invisible.
England must embrace Stokes as a batter rather than an all-action all-rounder because to his problematic knee.
But if any more proof were needed, Stokes’ stunning hitting at The Oval proved it, which is why Jos Buttler, the captain, wants Stokes to represent India. Stokes is now an even more frightening threat than before because of his singular focus on his batting rather than on putting his knee in a position from which he can pitch.
In his 108-match ODI career, Stokes has just ten times played at number four in England’s batting order. He produced the second-highest score by a batsman at four or lower in men’s ODI history with the added responsibility, only surpassed by the legendary 189 not out by the great West Indian Viv Richards against England at Old Trafford in 1984.
This is the first time Stokes has felt confident in his ability to concentrate on just one thing.
Every day for the past 18 months has been “Will I bowl? What if I don’t bowl? I can simply concentrate on my batting, I know. I now focus on doing that for the team. That mental clarity is beneficial.
Stokes’ quick ODI century, his first since 2017, came from 76 balls because to his clarity. In his 124-ball innings, he smashed 15 fours and nine sixes, assisting England to 368 all out and a final triumph by 181 runs for a 2-1 series lead.
Fittingly, the record-breaking performance took place against New Zealand, the opponents of his best one-day performance—the man-of-the-match showing in the World Cup final four years ago—and the nation from which he hails.
Even references to that exhilarating day at Lord’s were made. Martin Guptill’s throw from the deep back then ricocheted off of Stokes’ bat for four overthrows thanks to an outrageous stroke of luck. On Wednesday, Stokes was struck by a return from Henry Nicholls as he moved toward the non-striker’s end.
Stokes may have been caught at long-on in the championship game, but Trent Boult stepped on the boundary sponge. Boult, who was in the same fielding position at The Oval, this time watched the ball fly over his head for the maximum, passing Jason Roy’s 180 against Australia in 2018 to give Stokes the record for England.
Coach Gary Stead was polite enough to state that he enjoys watching Stokes bat, despite the fact that New Zealand could be forgiven for being utterly bored of seeing the man who could have played with a Black Cap instead of the Three Lions on his chest.
Stead stated, “I’d rather he gets his runs now than on 5 October,” referring to the World Cup opener between the two teams in Ahmedabad the following month.
It’s possible that both New Zealand and the other teams preparing for combat in India are engaging in wishful thinking.
It’s been a long since I played in this format, obviously. To simply return and resume playing is not as simple as it may seem, according to Stokes.
“I just needed to reacquaint myself with the ups and downs of 50-over cricket, and I think I did quite well today.”
Stokes may have indicated that he was available for one-day international matches, but the only way he could demonstrate that he had truly returned was by putting on a fully “Stokesian” performance.
Now that Ben Stokes has returned, everyone is aware of it. That means another World Cup for England where everything is possible.
