The veteran English all-rounder, Ben Stokes ave another testimony of him being the most versatile cricketer of modern-day cricket. Days after hitting his slowest Test century, Stokes made the record of smashing the fastest fifty by an England opener on Day 5 of the ongoing second Test between England and West Indies at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Ben Stokes completed the half-century in just 36 balls as he helped England post some quick runs and set West Indies a 312-run target in their must-win match of the historic series that marks the resumption of international cricket after the gap of 117 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Stokes remained unbeaten on 78 off just 57 balls after resuming on his overnight score of 16 as he amassed 3 sixes and 4 boundaries in the entertaining innings. Resuming on their overnight score of 37-2, the English all-rounder wasted no time as he started smashing the West Indies bowlers all around the empty Old Trafford. Joe Root also scored a quick-fire 22 and was run out before England declared on 129 for 3.
How good was this from @benstokes38 this morning!? 😍
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/HsfMRu9cip#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/vUrn4YHSlL
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 20, 2020
Notably, it was Stokes’ maiden innings as an opener after he and wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler were promoted to give England the much-needed momentum in pursuit of winning teh game. Stokes’s quickfire 78 comes days after he hit his slowest Test hundred — in 255 balls in the first innings of the Manchester Test.
Stokes had bowled 13 overs as well in the first innings in which he sent out close to 10 overs of short balls.
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England landed in huge trouble when they were reduced to 81/3 in the first innings on day 1. However, Stokes and Sibley added 260 for the 4th-wicket and helped England to post a respectable total of 469 for 9 in the 1st innings. Stokes hit 176 in the first innings while Sibley got a patient 120.
