Ben Stokes enters record books as England win at Headingley
A resurgent England beat Australia in the 3rd Test at Headingley to stay alive in the Ashes 2023. The hosts successfully chased down 251, with Harry Brook paving their way on Day 4. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood got them home eventually. With this win, England have registered five successful chases of 250+ runs under Ben Stokes. Here are the key stats.
Why does this story matter?
England's 'BazBall' ploy has been out loud so far. Notably, their opener Zak Crawley smacked a four off the first ball of the 2023 Ashes. There has been no looking for Stokes and his troops ever since. Although England were at the receiving end at Edgbaston and Lord's, they finally gained redemption at Headingley. The Stokes-led side would be raring to bounce back!
England soar under Stokes
As mentioned, this was the fifth time England registered a successful chase of 250+ runs under Stokes in Test cricket. The English captain now tops this list. He broke the record of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, under whom India recorded four such chases. Brian Lara's West Indies and Ricky Ponting's Australia unlocked this achievement thrice each.
England's run-rate requires a shoutout!
The BazBall ploy has certainly pushed England to go the extra mile. The draws have taken a back seat. As per Cricbuzz, four of the five aforementioned successful 250+ chases of England have come at a scoring rate of 4.50 or more.
England's first 17 Tests under Stokes
McCullum has successfully incorporated the play-to-win mindset in the camp. Captain Stokes's arrival has bolstered this ideology. Interestingly, each of England's first 17 Tests under Stokes has ended in a decisive result (12 wins and five defeats). Waqar Younis (10 wins and 7 defeats for Pakistan) and Shakib Al Hasan (3 wins and 14 defeats for Bangladesh) are the other captains to do so.
Stokes completes 6,000 Test runs
After a powerful 155-run knock at Lord's, Stokes made use of his form and looked solid for an 80-run knock from 108 balls at Headingley. He took England (237/10) close to Australia's first-innings score of 263/10. Stokes hit six fours and five sixes in his knock. During the innings, he became the 16th player for England to smash 6,000-plus runs in Tests.
England 1-2 behind after winning at Headingley
Australia suffered a top-order collapse after being put to bat. However, Mitchell Marsh's counter-attacking century propelled them past 200 (263/10). Mark Wood took a ferocious fifer. Pat Cummins's stunning six-for tormented England (237). Australia managed 224 in the second innings, with Travis Head managing 77. Harry Brook delivered for England before Wood and Woakes added the finishing touch. England won by three wickets.
