Ben Stokes made an outrageous 135 not out at Headingley to level the Ashes series, in the most unlikely finale to any Test match ever seen.
England - 67 & 362-9 / 179 & 246 - Australia
Six weeks to the day from his World Cup final heroics, Ben Stokes did it all over again as he dragged England to the most improbable victory to keep the Ashes series alive.
The Durham allrounder played one of - if not 'the' - best innings by an Englishman in Test cricket to level the series against Australia at 1-1.
In a record chase of 359 at a packed Headingley in late-summer sunshine, last man Jack Leach went out to the crease with 73 required to win.
Stokes then launched a stunning solo assault, like he did against New Zealand at Lord's, hitting off-spinner for three sixes, including an outrageous reverse slog-sweep into the Western Terrace.
He followed that up by hitting Josh Hazlewood for four, six, six from three successive deliveries, during which point he brought up his hundred, but did not celebrate it the traditional way - he was more concerned about getting the match won.
Stokes was dropped at deep backward point by a diving Marcus Harris with 17 needed to win.
From the next over, Lyon should have run out Leach with two required, only for the bowler to fumble the ball, and from the next delivery, Stokes should have been out lbw but Australia had no reviews.
Leach scrambled a single off Cummins to get off the mark for the penultimate runs of the match, and Stokes hit the next ball with a late cut through cover for four and raised his arms aloft in exhausted celebration.
It is barely believable that this match comes in the same English cricket summer as the incredible World Cup final, with both filled with drama, tension, contentious umpiring decisions and a heart-stopping finish to the match.
Stokes was the heart of both, who single-handedly kept England's hopes of regaining the urn at a ground already steeped in Ashes folklore after Bob Willis and Sir Ian Botham's exploits in 1981.
There was an aura around Headingley that the capacity crowd - all in their seats before play began - were going to witness something special.
The Barmy Army stayed behind their team, and despite five wickets being lost for 41 runs at one stage, as long as Stokes was at the crease, England believed.
With every run in the last wicket partnership, the supporters edged closer to the edge of their seats and the noise cranked up, particularly in the Western Terrace who saw close up the scale of Stokes' hitting.
As the ball cleared the fielders and raced away towards the boundary, a jubilant Headingley was on their feet - along with homes, pubs and cricket clubs all across the country - to celebrate a truly unique moment.
Stokes eventually summoned enough energy to leave the field, but only after soaking up the appreciation and adulation that he earned with another match-winning performance.
From the strong position of 156-3 overnight, captain Joe Root only added two to his overnight 75, before Jonny Bairstow joined Stokes and looked like he was on a mission.
Stokes had scored two from 50 balls last night, and it was from his 84th ball that he scored his first boundary.
He was dropped at slip by David Warner on 34, the same man had dismissed Root with a brilliant diving catch behind the stumps earlier.
Bairstow and Stokes combine for a fifth-wicket stand of 86, but soon after lunch England began to crumble.
Bairstow was caught at slip uppercutting Hazlewood, Buttler was run out by Travis Head, Chris Woakes scooped straight to Usman Khawaja at mid-off, Jofra Archer found the hands of deep mid-wicket and Stuart Broad was trapped lbw.
But as England knew, as long as there was Stokes, there was hope.
He switched from careful defence into white-ball mode, striking boundaries all around the ground - each shot choice with added pressure as one mistake would have seen the urn retained by Australia.
Leach stoutly defended at the end of the over, of the unbeaten 76 partnership, he scored one off 17 balls.
Stokes scored his last 84 runs off 67 balls, lofting Lyon down the ground and square the wicket both sides.
The pace bowlers were heaved into the leg side, with Stokes finding the gaps in the deep-set field to run hard.
The drama of the dropped catch, Lyon's fumble for the run out and the leg-before decision that showed three reds on replay with just two to win.
But nothing was going to deny Stokes in this mood, and he has served one one of the most astonishing moments in English cricket that will be talked about for years to come.
England looked to have wasted the opportunity to level the series when they were skittled for 67 on Friday after restricting the tourists to 179 on Thursday.
However, they became only the third team to be bowled out for less than 70 in the first innings and go on to win a Test match.
Furthermore, the series is well and truly alive with nothing separating cricket's biggest enemies.
Australia's star batsman Steve Smith and England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson are both set to return - the latter on his home ground.
If either of the Old Trafford or The Oval Tests are as dramatic as what we have seen so far, then this will be spoken about in the same way as the 2005 series.
Australia will retain the urn if they win either of the last two Tests, and despite England's issues, anything seems possible when Stokes is at his best.
England's remarkable win in numbers
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| Photo from The Telegraph |
Six weeks to the day from his World Cup final heroics, Ben Stokes did it all over again as he dragged England to the most improbable victory to keep the Ashes series alive.
The Durham allrounder played one of - if not 'the' - best innings by an Englishman in Test cricket to level the series against Australia at 1-1.
In a record chase of 359 at a packed Headingley in late-summer sunshine, last man Jack Leach went out to the crease with 73 required to win.
Stokes then launched a stunning solo assault, like he did against New Zealand at Lord's, hitting off-spinner for three sixes, including an outrageous reverse slog-sweep into the Western Terrace.
He followed that up by hitting Josh Hazlewood for four, six, six from three successive deliveries, during which point he brought up his hundred, but did not celebrate it the traditional way - he was more concerned about getting the match won.
Stokes was dropped at deep backward point by a diving Marcus Harris with 17 needed to win.
From the next over, Lyon should have run out Leach with two required, only for the bowler to fumble the ball, and from the next delivery, Stokes should have been out lbw but Australia had no reviews.
Leach scrambled a single off Cummins to get off the mark for the penultimate runs of the match, and Stokes hit the next ball with a late cut through cover for four and raised his arms aloft in exhausted celebration.
 |
| Photo from The National |
Stokes was the heart of both, who single-handedly kept England's hopes of regaining the urn at a ground already steeped in Ashes folklore after Bob Willis and Sir Ian Botham's exploits in 1981.
There was an aura around Headingley that the capacity crowd - all in their seats before play began - were going to witness something special.
The Barmy Army stayed behind their team, and despite five wickets being lost for 41 runs at one stage, as long as Stokes was at the crease, England believed.
With every run in the last wicket partnership, the supporters edged closer to the edge of their seats and the noise cranked up, particularly in the Western Terrace who saw close up the scale of Stokes' hitting.
As the ball cleared the fielders and raced away towards the boundary, a jubilant Headingley was on their feet - along with homes, pubs and cricket clubs all across the country - to celebrate a truly unique moment.
Stokes eventually summoned enough energy to leave the field, but only after soaking up the appreciation and adulation that he earned with another match-winning performance.
 |
| Photo from ABC |
Stokes had scored two from 50 balls last night, and it was from his 84th ball that he scored his first boundary.
He was dropped at slip by David Warner on 34, the same man had dismissed Root with a brilliant diving catch behind the stumps earlier.
Bairstow and Stokes combine for a fifth-wicket stand of 86, but soon after lunch England began to crumble.
Bairstow was caught at slip uppercutting Hazlewood, Buttler was run out by Travis Head, Chris Woakes scooped straight to Usman Khawaja at mid-off, Jofra Archer found the hands of deep mid-wicket and Stuart Broad was trapped lbw.
But as England knew, as long as there was Stokes, there was hope.
He switched from careful defence into white-ball mode, striking boundaries all around the ground - each shot choice with added pressure as one mistake would have seen the urn retained by Australia.
Leach stoutly defended at the end of the over, of the unbeaten 76 partnership, he scored one off 17 balls.
Stokes scored his last 84 runs off 67 balls, lofting Lyon down the ground and square the wicket both sides.
The pace bowlers were heaved into the leg side, with Stokes finding the gaps in the deep-set field to run hard.
The drama of the dropped catch, Lyon's fumble for the run out and the leg-before decision that showed three reds on replay with just two to win.
But nothing was going to deny Stokes in this mood, and he has served one one of the most astonishing moments in English cricket that will be talked about for years to come.
England looked to have wasted the opportunity to level the series when they were skittled for 67 on Friday after restricting the tourists to 179 on Thursday.
However, they became only the third team to be bowled out for less than 70 in the first innings and go on to win a Test match.
Furthermore, the series is well and truly alive with nothing separating cricket's biggest enemies.
Australia's star batsman Steve Smith and England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson are both set to return - the latter on his home ground.
If either of the Old Trafford or The Oval Tests are as dramatic as what we have seen so far, then this will be spoken about in the same way as the 2005 series.
Australia will retain the urn if they win either of the last two Tests, and despite England's issues, anything seems possible when Stokes is at his best.
England's remarkable win in numbers
- This is England's highest fourth-innings total to win a Test; the previous highest was 332-7 against Australia at Melbourne in 1928-29.
- It is the 10th highest successful chase in Test history.
- This is the third time a team has been bowled out for under 70 in their first innings and gone on to win the Test - the other two instances also occurred in the Ashes, but in 1882 (Australia 63 all out) and 1887 (England 45 all out).
- Ben Stokes and Jack Leach's stand of 76 is the third-highest 10th wicket partnership in the fourth innings to win a first-class match.
- This is only England's fourth Test victory by one wicket and first since against South Africa at Cape Town in 1923.
- Headingley is the first venue to see four fourth-innings totals over 300 to win a Test.
England won the toss and decided to field
England won by one wicket
Australia First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Warner: c Bairstow - b Archer / 61 / 94 / 64.89 (7, 0)
Harris: c Bairstow - b Archer / 8 / 12 / 66.67 (2, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Broad / 8 / 17 / 47.06 (1, 0)
Labuschagne: lbw - b Stokes / 74 / 129 / 57.36 (10, 0)
Head: b Broad / 0 / 6 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Wade: b Archer / 0 / 3 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Paine: lbw - b Woakes / 11 / 26 / 42.31 (1, 0)
Pattinson: c Root - b Archer / 2 / 8 / 25.00 (0, 0)
Cummins: c Bairstow - b Archer / 0 / 13 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Lyon: lbw - b Archer / 1 / 4 / 25.00 (0, 0)
Hazlewood: not out / 1 / 3 / 33.33 (0, 0)
Extras 2nb 5w 4b 2lb 13
Australia First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Warner: c Bairstow - b Archer / 61 / 94 / 64.89 (7, 0)
Harris: c Bairstow - b Archer / 8 / 12 / 66.67 (2, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Broad / 8 / 17 / 47.06 (1, 0)
Labuschagne: lbw - b Stokes / 74 / 129 / 57.36 (10, 0)
Head: b Broad / 0 / 6 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Wade: b Archer / 0 / 3 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Paine: lbw - b Woakes / 11 / 26 / 42.31 (1, 0)
Pattinson: c Root - b Archer / 2 / 8 / 25.00 (0, 0)
Cummins: c Bairstow - b Archer / 0 / 13 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Lyon: lbw - b Archer / 1 / 4 / 25.00 (0, 0)
Hazlewood: not out / 1 / 3 / 33.33 (0, 0)
Extras 2nb 5w 4b 2lb 13
Total (52.1 overs) 179 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Broad: 14.0 / 4 / 32 / 2 / 2.29
Archer: 17.1 / 3 / 45 / 6 / 2.62
Woakes: 12.0 / 4 / 51 / 1 / 4.25
Stokes: 9.0 / 0 / 45 / 1 / 5.00
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
12-1 (3.6 ovs) - Harris
25-2 (8.4 ovs) - Khawaja
136-3 (31.4 ovs) - Warner
138-4 (32.5 ovs) - Head
139-5 (33.6 ovs) - Wade
162-6 (42.6 ovs) - Paine
173-7 (45.6 ovs) - Pattinson
174-8 (49.6 ovs) - Cummins
177-9 (51.2 ovs) - Labuschagne
179-10 (52.1 ovs) - Lyon
England First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Paine - b Cummins / 9 / 28 / 32.14 (1, 0)
Roy: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 9 / 15 / 60.00 (2, 0)
Root: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Denly: c Paine - b Pattinson / 12 / 49 / 24.49 (1, 0)
Stokes: c Warner - b Pattinson / 8 / 13 / 61.54 (1, 0)
Bairstow: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 4 / 15 / 26.67 (1, 0)
Buttler: c Khawaja - b Hazlewood / 5 / 16 / 31.25 (1, 0)
Woakes: c Paine - b Cummins / 5 / 9 / 55.56 (1, 0)
Archer: c Paine - b Cummins / 7 / 8 / 87.50 (1, 0)
Broad: not out / 4 / 5 / 80.00 (1, 0)
Leach: b Hazlewood / 1 / 7 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Extras 0nb 0w 0b 3lb 3
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Broad: 14.0 / 4 / 32 / 2 / 2.29
Archer: 17.1 / 3 / 45 / 6 / 2.62
Woakes: 12.0 / 4 / 51 / 1 / 4.25
Stokes: 9.0 / 0 / 45 / 1 / 5.00
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
12-1 (3.6 ovs) - Harris
25-2 (8.4 ovs) - Khawaja
136-3 (31.4 ovs) - Warner
138-4 (32.5 ovs) - Head
139-5 (33.6 ovs) - Wade
162-6 (42.6 ovs) - Paine
173-7 (45.6 ovs) - Pattinson
174-8 (49.6 ovs) - Cummins
177-9 (51.2 ovs) - Labuschagne
179-10 (52.1 ovs) - Lyon
England First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Paine - b Cummins / 9 / 28 / 32.14 (1, 0)
Roy: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 9 / 15 / 60.00 (2, 0)
Root: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Denly: c Paine - b Pattinson / 12 / 49 / 24.49 (1, 0)
Stokes: c Warner - b Pattinson / 8 / 13 / 61.54 (1, 0)
Bairstow: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 4 / 15 / 26.67 (1, 0)
Buttler: c Khawaja - b Hazlewood / 5 / 16 / 31.25 (1, 0)
Woakes: c Paine - b Cummins / 5 / 9 / 55.56 (1, 0)
Archer: c Paine - b Cummins / 7 / 8 / 87.50 (1, 0)
Broad: not out / 4 / 5 / 80.00 (1, 0)
Leach: b Hazlewood / 1 / 7 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Extras 0nb 0w 0b 3lb 3
Total (27.5 overs) 67 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Cummins: 9.0 / 4 / 23 / 3 / 2.56
Hazlewood: 12.5 / 2 / 30 / 5 / 2.34
Lyon: 1.0 / 0 / 2 / 0 / 2.00
Pattinson: 5.0 / 2 / 9 / 2 / 1.80
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Cummins: 9.0 / 4 / 23 / 3 / 2.56
Hazlewood: 12.5 / 2 / 30 / 5 / 2.34
Lyon: 1.0 / 0 / 2 / 0 / 2.00
Pattinson: 5.0 / 2 / 9 / 2 / 1.80
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
10-1 (3.5 ovs) - Roy
10-2 (5.1 ovs) - Root
20-3 (10.4 ovs) - Burns
34-4 (14.3 ovs) - Stokes
45-5 (20.1 ovs) - Denly
45-6 (21.1 ovs) - Bairstow
54-7 (24.1 ovs) - Woakes
56-8 (25.1 ovs) - Buttler
66-9 (26.4 ovs) - Archer
67-10 (27.5 ovs) - Leach
Australia Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Harris: b Leach / 19 / 39 / 48.72 (3, 0)
Warner: lbw - b Broad / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Khawaja: c Roy - b Woakes / 23 / 38 / 60.53 (4, 0)
Labuschagne: run out - (Denly) / 80 / 187 / 42.78 (8, 0)
Head: b Stokes / 25 / 56 / 44.64 (3, 0)
Wade: c Bairstow - b Stokes / 33 / 59 / 55.93 (6, 0)
Paine: c Denly - b Broad / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Pattinson: c Root - b Archer / 20 / 48 / 41.67 (2, 0)
Cummins: c Burns - b Stokes / 6 / 6 / 100.00 (1, 0)
Lyon: b Archer / 9 / 17 / 52.94 (1, 0)
Hazlewood: not out / 4 / 5 / 80.00 (1, 0)
Extras 7nb 2w 5b 13lb 27
Total (75.2 overs) 246 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Archer: 14.0 / 2 / 40 / 2 / 2.86
Broad: 16.0 / 2 / 52 / 2 / 3.25
Woakes: 10.0 / 1 / 34 / 1 / 3.40
Leach: 11.0 / 0 / 46 / 1 / 4.18
Stokes: 24.2 / 7 / 56 / 3 / 2.30
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Archer: 14.0 / 2 / 40 / 2 / 2.86
Broad: 16.0 / 2 / 52 / 2 / 3.25
Woakes: 10.0 / 1 / 34 / 1 / 3.40
Leach: 11.0 / 0 / 46 / 1 / 4.18
Stokes: 24.2 / 7 / 56 / 3 / 2.30
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
10-1 (1.2 ovs) - Warner
36-2 (11.1 ovs) - Harris
52-3 (14.1 ovs) - Khawaja
97-4 (32.2 ovs) - Head
163-5 (52.6 ovs) - Wade
164-6 (53.3 ovs) - Paine
215-7 (67.6 ovs) - Pattinson
226-8 (70.2 ovs) - Cummins
237-9 (73.3 ovs) - Labuschagne
246-10 (75.2 ovs) - Lyon
England Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Warner - b Hazlewood / 7 / 21 / 33.33 (0, 0)
Roy: b Cummins / 8 / 18 / 44.44 (1, 0)
Root: c Warner - b Lyon / 77 / 205 / 37.56 (7, 0)
Denly: c Paine - b Hazlewood / 50 / 155 / 32.26 (8, 0)
Stokes: not out / 135 / 219 / 61.64 (11, 8)
Bairstow: c Labuschagne - b Hazlewood / 36 / 68 / 52.94 (4, 0)
Buttler: run out - (Head) / 1 / 9 / 11.11 (0, 0)
Woakes: c Wade - b Hazlewood / 1 / 8 / 12.50 (0, 0)
Archer: c Head - b Lyon / 15 / 33 / 45.45 (3, 0)
Broad: lbw - b Pattinson / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Leach: not out / 1 / 17 / 5.88 (0, 0)
Extras 1nb 10w 5b 15lb 31
Total (125.4 overs) 362-9
Bowler: Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Econ
Cummins: 24.4 / 5 / 80 / 1 / 3.24
Hazlewood: 31.0 / 11 / 85 / 4 / 2.74
Lyon: 39.0 / 5 / 114 / 2 / 2.92
Pattinson: 25.0 / 9 / 47 / 1 / 1.88
Labuschagne: 6.0 / 0 / 16 / 0 / 2.67
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
15-1 (5.6 ovs) - Burns
15-2 (6.3 ovs) - Roy
141-3 (59.3 ovs) - Denly
159-4 (77.3 ovs) - Root
245-5 (99.1 ovs) - Bairstow
253-6 (102.2 ovs) - Buttler
261-7 (105.6 ovs) - Woakes
286-8 (114.6 ovs) - Archer
286-9 (115.2 ovs) - Broad
The Ashes Fixtures and Results
1-5 August
First Test, Edgbaston
Australia won by 251 runs (England 0-1 Australia)
14-18 August
Second Test, Lord's
Match drawn (England 0-1 Australia)
22-26 August
Third Test, Headingley
England won by one wicket (England 1-1 Australia)
4-8 September
Fourth Test, Old Trafford
12-16 September
Fifth Test, The Oval
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Bowler: Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Econ
Cummins: 24.4 / 5 / 80 / 1 / 3.24
Hazlewood: 31.0 / 11 / 85 / 4 / 2.74
Lyon: 39.0 / 5 / 114 / 2 / 2.92
Pattinson: 25.0 / 9 / 47 / 1 / 1.88
Labuschagne: 6.0 / 0 / 16 / 0 / 2.67
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
15-1 (5.6 ovs) - Burns
15-2 (6.3 ovs) - Roy
141-3 (59.3 ovs) - Denly
159-4 (77.3 ovs) - Root
245-5 (99.1 ovs) - Bairstow
253-6 (102.2 ovs) - Buttler
261-7 (105.6 ovs) - Woakes
286-8 (114.6 ovs) - Archer
286-9 (115.2 ovs) - Broad
The Ashes Fixtures and Results
1-5 August
First Test, Edgbaston
Australia won by 251 runs (England 0-1 Australia)
14-18 August
Second Test, Lord's
Match drawn (England 0-1 Australia)
22-26 August
Third Test, Headingley
England won by one wicket (England 1-1 Australia)
4-8 September
Fourth Test, Old Trafford
12-16 September
Fifth Test, The Oval
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