Ben Stokes scored a hundred on the final day of the 2nd Ashes Test at Lord’s (AP Photo)
Stokes shifted gears after the hosts lost opener Ben Duckett (83) and Jonny Bairstow (10) in the morning session
England’s Test captain Ben Stoke put the ‘Bazball’ on display as the hosts chased 371 on the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. Putting an end to his struggle for runs, Stokes notched up his 13th Test ton on Sunday with a hat-trick of sixes against Australia all-rounder Cameron Green.
Stokes shifted gears after the hosts lost opener Ben Duckett (83) and Jonny Bairstow (10) in the morning session. The England captain was batting on 62 off 126 until Bairstow’s controversial run-out. In the next 16 balls, Stokes notched up his 13th Test century, bringing back the memories of Headingly Test from the Ashes 2019. The skipper smashed a hat-trick of sixes to Cameron Green to get to triple figures.
Ashes 2023 Live Score, 2nd Test Day 5
Probably, it was the bizarre dismissal of Jonny Bairstow that irked Stoke to go all guns blazing. He started to hit out and on 77, he slammed a fierce pull back at Pat Cummins which the Australia captain dropped.
Stokes then hooked Green for three sixes off successive deliveries, the second dropped over the boundary by Mitchell Starc, to complete a stunning 142-ball hundred. England were 243-6 at lunch on the fifth day, with Stokes 108 not out. The hosts still needed 128 runs to reach an imposing victory target of 371 as they looked to level this five-match series at 1-1.
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England were left hoping Stokes could repeat his Headingley heroics of 2019 when the all-rounder’s astounding unbeaten century secured a thrilling one-wicket win in an Ashes Test as the side reached a total of 359 — their highest fourth-innings winning chase against Australia.
Earlier, Ben Duckett fell short of a coveted Test century at Lord’s for the second time in the match. The left-handed opener was out for 83, after making 98 in England’s first-innings 325. But in helping Stokes add 132 for the fifth wicket in the second innings he had at least kept England’s hopes alive after they had been in dire straits at 45-4.
