On this day: Ben Stokes played one of finest Test innings at Headingley to level the Ashes
On August 25 in 2019, fans across the world witnessed one of the memorable finishes to a game of cricket when Ben Stokes saved the English side from the jaws of defeat and single-handedly won them the third Ashes Test at Headingley by 1 wicket.
The game which is considered as one of the greatest Test matches ever played witnessed Stokes helping England level the five-match series 1-1.
England Cricket’s official twitter handle celebrated the memorable victory with this tweet on Tuesday (August 25, 2020):
Take a bow, @benstokes38!
The greatest innings in Test history #OnThisDay last year! pic.twitter.com/evSxIUnKxg
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
No one would have placed their bets on England when they folded up for a paltry 67 in their first innings, in reply to Australia’s total of 179.
Australia, playing without their talisman Steven Smith, could only muster 246 in their second innings even though his replacement Marnus Labuschagne proved to be a fine deputy, scoring fine half-centuries in both innings.
England were set a target of 359 by the Aussies, with the match all but lost for the hosts. England lost both their openers early which made the target seemingly impossible to fathom.
Ben Stokes who is currently the top-ranked Test all-rounder came out to bat with England’s score reading 141/3. The southpaw Stokes, kept the scoreboard ticking and was engaged in a fine 86-run stand with Jonny Bairstow before the right-handed batsman was dismissed for 36 and the score read 245-5.
With 114 runs still to get, England lost four quick wickets as fans started to make way for the exit.
What followed will be celebrated as a Test cricket saga for decades to come.
That angle #OnThisDay last year pic.twitter.com/uxpADAsqLl
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
Last man Jack Leach arrived at the crease with England reeling at 286-9 and still needing 73 improbable runs for the victory.
Stokes, though, had other plans. The all-rounder launched a fine counter-attack, hitting Australia’s bowlers at will and then picking-up a single the end of the over to keep strike.
Leach gave Stokes fine company at the crease as the duo were involved in a 76-run unbeaten partnership with the former contributing just one run. Leach, to his credit, did immensely well to defend the seventeen deliveries he faced.
England won the match by 1 wicket in an edge of the seat thriller – a match which brought a lot of acclaim for the longest format of the game. Stokes finished with a stellar knock of 135*, which will surely go down in the echelons of history.
That angle #OnThisDay last year pic.twitter.com/uxpADAsqLl
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
Gets us every time. pic.twitter.com/Akvo2XZGP6
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
Re-live the most incredible day of Test cricket, one year ago today! pic.twitter.com/KRbmxq4Uk4
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
Stokes was awarded the man of the match award and was later crowned as the ICC Cricketer of the year 2019 for his fine display in the 2019 ODI World Cup and in the Ashes.
