Stokes’ Ton Leads England Over New Zealand in 3rd ODI
Ben Stokes is in exceptional form as he approaches the Cricket World Cup. He achieved a record-breaking feat by scoring 182 runs off 124 balls, making it the highest score by an England player in one-day internationals. This remarkable performance played a crucial role in England’s 181-run victory over New Zealand in the third match of the series, which took place at The Oval on Wednesday.
Stokes’s exceptional innings of 182 not out set a new record for the highest individual score by an England player in one-day internationals, surpassing the previous record of 180 held by Jason Roy against Australia in Melbourne in 2018. It also ranks as the 24th highest individual score ever recorded in the 50-over format.
The way Stokes constructed his innings was impressive, initially starting cautiously with 13 runs off 19 balls before launching into an aggressive phase where he smashed nine sixes and 15 fours. This batting display highlighted why England was so determined to persuade Stokes to come out of retirement for ODIs, especially with their World Cup title defense in India just around the corner, starting next month.
“Coming back into the team after a while out, it’s nice to come back and help the team,” said Stokes, who added that he apologized to Roy for taking his record.
– Advertisement –
A Showcase of Talent: Rohit’s Standout Performances
In the match, England got off to a challenging start, with Jonny Bairstow getting dismissed for a golden duck, leaving the team at 13-2 after just 16 balls. However, a remarkable partnership between Ben Stokes (182) and Dawid Malan (96 off 95 balls) saw them put together an impressive 199-run stand for the third wicket. Despite a late collapse following Stokes’s departure, England managed to post a total of 368 runs, with Trent Boult being the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking 5 wickets for 51 runs.
In response, New Zealand struggled, losing wickets early and finding themselves at 70-5 after some fine bowling by Chris Woakes, who took 3 wickets for 31 runs. Only Glenn Phillips managed to make a significant contribution with his 72 runs off 76 balls, but the rest of the New Zealand batting lineup couldn’t provide much resistance, and they were eventually bowled out for 187 runs.
The series is now at a point where the tourists can only hope for a draw, with England leading 2-1 as they head into the final match at Lord’s on Friday. In their recent Twenty20 series, the teams shared the spoils with a 2-2 result.
Ben Stokes, who serves as England’s test captain, has made a remarkable return to the One-Day International (ODI) format, a year after retiring from it due to what he had described as an “unsustainable” schedule. In this series, he made 52 runs in the first ODI and has now surpassed his previous best ODI score of 102, notching his fourth ODI century in 93 innings in the format.
Ben Stokes is assured of his spot in England’s team for the World Cup, primarily as a batsman, given his outstanding performances. Similarly, Dawid Malan’s place seems secure after narrowly missing out on what could have been his fifth ODI century when he was caught behind off Trent Boult.
However, there seem to be some concerns emerging in the batting lineup for England, which is something they will need to address with just three weeks remaining until the World Cup.
Jason Roy’s absence continued as he experienced another back spasm just hours before the match. The opener had previously missed the first two games due to the same issue, and his recurring problem could potentially cast doubt on his availability for the upcoming World Cup.
In the absence of Roy, Harry Brook, who is not part of the provisional squad but is vying to replace Roy or another batter, was included in the team. However, his performances in the series have been less than impressive, with scores of 25 and 2. This further complicates England’s batting lineup concerns as they prepare for the World Cup.
Joe Root’s struggles continued in this series as he was dismissed for just 4 runs, following earlier scores of 6 and 0.
Another concerning aspect of Wednesday’s match was England’s late-innings collapse after Ben Stokes’s dismissal. After being 348-5, England lost all their wickets just 22 balls later, adding only 20 runs in the process.
On the other hand, New Zealand opted to leave out spinner Mitchell Santner, who had injured his knee while fielding in the second ODI. However, they were completely outplayed in both batting and bowling departments in this match.
The upcoming World Cup clash between England and New Zealand is scheduled for October 5th, and these series of matches serve as a crucial preparation for both teams as they aim to perform well in the tournament.
Final scores
England 368 all-out in 48.1 overs (Ben Stokes 182, Dawid Malan 96) vs. New Zealand 187 all-out (Glenn Phillips 72) – England wins by 181 runs.
– Advertisement –
Latest News
Stokes’ Ton Leads England Over New Zealand in 3rd ODI
The 2026 Quest: Argentina’s Battle to Defend Crown
Guardiola’s Return to City After Operation
PKL 10 Player Auction in October 9 and 10 in Mumbai
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim To Skip India Match
– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –