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Cricket World Player of the Week - Ben Stokes

©CWM

In a Test match which had so many eye-catching performances, it is difficult to look past Ben Stokes' 214-ball 155 despite England ending on the wrong side of the line.

It was deja vu in the words of Steve Smith with the ghosts of Headingley 2019 returning to haunt the Aussies. There wasn't much purchase from the Lord's surface and with Stokes going at his scary best, chances of another turnaround were far from over. Eventually, England fell just 43 runs short.

Stokes was circumspect to begin with and got great support from Ben Duckett, who kept the scoreboard ticking. Once Duckett was gone and Bairstow fell to a 'smart' bit of keeping from Alex Carey, which some might see not in the best spirit of cricket, Stokes went off.

The explosive left-hander carted 50 runs in the last five overs before lunch, taking Cameron Green for 24 in an over that included three successive sixes en route to a highly entertaining ton.

Once the deficit was down to under 100, Australia came with a sensible plan of keeping the ball wide of the off-stump and play on Stokes' patience. With the option of the short boundary taken away, Stokes fell to Hazlewood off a top-edge slog.

Be that as it may, Stokes and England get full marks for entertainment and treating the spectators to five entertaining days of top-drawer Test cricket.

A gutting end to another sensational Test match...

Australia lead 2??-0?? in the series.#EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/doJmO5VWmG
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2023