Malan makes 96 while adding 199 for third wicket, before Woakes, Livingstone seal rout
England 368 (Stokes 182, Malan 96, Boult 5-51, Lister 3-69) beat New Zealand 187 (Phillips 72, Livingstone 3-16, Woakes 3-31) by 181 runs.
England vs New zealand :
In a breathtaking display of cricketing prowess at the Kia Oval, Ben Stokes made a triumphant return to ODI cricket, putting to rest any doubts about his ability in the format after a 14-month hiatus. Stokes showcased his brilliance in highest score in the format by an Englishman by smashing his fourth century in ODI cricket, taking just 76 balls to reach this milestone. What followed was nothing short of historic as he powered his way to an astonishing 182 runs off 124 balls, claiming the title of the highest individual score by an Englishman in ODI history. This incredible performance set the stage for England to secure a resounding victory over New Zealand, winning by a margin of 181 runs.
Stokes made his way to the crease in the third over, facing the challenging swing of Trent Boult, with England in a precarious position at 13 for 2. However, he found a solid partner in Dawid Malan, and together they forged a formidable third-wicket partnership, amassing 199 runs in 165 balls. Stokes unleashed a relentless assault on Lockie Ferguson, plundering 56 runs off the 30 balls he faced from him, pushing Ferguson’s figures to a costly 9 overs for 80 runs.
From the outset, Stokes displayed his aggressive intent, charging down the pitch and maneuvering himself outside leg stump to create room for attacking shots on the off side. He was on 13 runs off 19 balls when Ferguson was introduced into the attack, and Stokes immediately took him on, smashing three boundaries in four balls, including one off a thick leading edge, in Ferguson’s second over.
Once he found his rhythm, Stokes maintained a similar tempo throughout his innings, a style reminiscent of his performance during the Ashes earlier that summer. He mixed well-placed singles with calculated and dismissive strikes into the stands. One particular shot, a magnificent swing off Glenn Phillips, soared into the second tier of the Pavilion.
Let’s see this video of Ben Stocks smashed 182 in England vs New Zealand
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Despite battling a knee injury, Stokes stood firm and delivered an astonishing display of power-hitting, launching a total of nine sixes, with six of them coming in his final 31 balls. When he finally perished while attempting to hit his tenth six, caught at square leg, the sell-out crowd rose to their feet to applaud the hero of England’s 2019 World Cup triumph, with renewed hope that he could lead them to another successful title defense in India.
Reflecting on his performance, Stokes remarked, “It’s good to come back after a while out and put a big contribution into us winning the game. Today was good for me personally, just to get familiarity again with how 50-over cricket goes. We lost a few quick wickets, and I wanted to go out and put them under a bit of pressure. There were a couple of times I had to check myself because I looked up and there were still 23-24 overs left… you have way more time than you think. I didn’t really know [about the record] until the bloke on the tannoy announced it – then I got out next ball. There were a couple of stages where I was scoring quite freely and felt like I wanted to keep going and going and going… in 50-over cricket, we always want to go out and put on big scores but [it was a case of] realizing how much more time I had.”
New Zealand’s attempt to chase down the daunting target of 369 quickly unraveled, resembling little more than a glorified middle practice session. Chris Woakes played a pivotal role, bowling eight consecutive overs from the Pavilion End and finishing with figures of 3 for 31, effectively sealing the game in England’s favor. Glenn Phillips, who managed to score a career-best 72, was the only New Zealand batsman to surpass 30 runs as they were eventually bowled out for 187.
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While Ben Stokes stole the spotlight, this match may have also provided clarity regarding England’s World Cup squad. With Jason Roy sidelined for a third consecutive ODI due to recurring back spasms, Dawid Malan made a strong case for himself after returning from paternity leave. Malan’s impressive 96 off 95 balls marked his second half-century of the series and his ninth 50-plus score in ODIs out of 20 innings.
Initially, Malan appeared to be on the fringes of the squad when England announced their provisional 15-man squad a month ago. However, his resurgence, coupled with Harry Brook’s compelling performances, made the selection more intriguing. It is increasingly likely that Malan will feature in the World Cup opener against New Zealand on October 5, possibly partnering with Jonny Bairstow as the opening pair. In such a scenario, Harry Brook might secure the remaining batting spot in the squad due to his versatility and Jason Roy’s inconsistent fitness record.
Following England’s victory at the Ageas Bowl, the team aimed to adopt a more aggressive and positive approach, as emphasized by Jos Buttler and his players. Both Malan and Stokes embraced this philosophy, forging a formidable 100-run partnership in just 15.1 overs. Malan took charge of the new ball, striking six crisply-timed boundaries within the first 10 overs.
Malan’s prowess in pulling the ball was evident, dispatching Ben Lister through square leg for four on two occasions. He accelerated his innings by hitting Kyle Jamieson for a massive six over long-on. Although he fell to Boult as he approached his century, England was well-placed at 212 for 3 after 30.1 overs, thanks to Malan’s brilliant groundwork.
Despite the solid platform, England couldn’t convert their position into a score exceeding 400 runs, leaving 11 balls unused as their lower-order crumbled. Jos Buttler provided a brief spark with 38 runs off 24 balls, but Stokes’ dismissal in the 45th over triggered a late collapse, resulting in a loss of five wickets for just 20 runs. Trent Boult, who was the standout performer for New Zealand, claimed his sixth ODI five-wicket haul by rearranging Gus Atkinson’s stumps.
New Zealand’s bowling attack faced several challenges, with Mitchell Santner nursing a knee injury and Ish Sodhi being rested. As a result, New Zealand relied on allrounders Phillips and Rachin Ravindra to bowl spin, while Jamieson and Lister were not part of their World Cup plans. Stokes capitalized on this weakened bowling unit, scoring 59 runs off the 35 balls of spin he faced, including three colossal sixes that made Ravindra ineffective after just two overs. His eventual dismissal came as a surprise, but not before he etched his name in history by surpassing Jason Roy’s record for the highest individual score by an Englishman in ODIs.
Despite missing their key bowlers, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, England’s defense was still formidable. Chris Woakes made quick work of the New Zealand top order, dismissing Will Young and Henry Nicholls, while also rattling Tom Latham’s stumps with a lethal inswinger. Devon Conway struggled for his 9 runs off 18 balls before falling lbw to Reece Topley, leaving New Zealand in dire straits at 37 for 4. Sam Curran added to New Zealand’s woes by dismissing Daryl Mitchell, while Moeen Ali bowled Rachin Ravindra with a crafty arm ball. Phillips managed a couple of futile sixes before being dismissed lbw on review, providing Liam Livingstone with three crucial wickets. By the time Phillips departed, The Oval was half-empty, and England’s victory was all but confirmed.
In a memorable match at the Kia Oval, Ben Stokes’ extraordinary innings and England’s dominant performance have left cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the upcoming ICC World Cup in India. Stokes’ return to ODI cricket has undoubtedly added firepower to England’s campaign, and his record-breaking feat will be etched in the annals of English cricket history for years to come.
