The compulsive need to accelerate, England’s all-or-nothing batting ideology and their restlessness to get going had consumed the top order once again this World Cup as they were reduced to 192/6 from 133/1 against the Netherlands in their low-key penultimate game.
Given how swiftly things can go downhill for them, Ben Stokes had no choice but to bite back his own impulse, stabilise, scratch around before the onset of the final Powerplay to play the saviour. And after five straight losses, it was a must-win game for England’s 2025 Champions Trophy aspirations.
England eventually defeated the Netherlands by 160 runs after posting 339/9 but Stokes had landed psychological blows on the Oranje team, with his six sixes in the last eight overs showing there was reward for those who bided their time. Stokes’ first-ever World Cup century (108 off 84) was a sign of grit in the aftermath of the defending champions being knocked out of contention.
So precious is Stokes’ presence in the England team across formats that there were calls from back in England to ration his utility – whisk him back home away from this doomed Cup for an unavoidable knee surgery to get him ready for the Tests against India. But Stokes, English cricket’s spiritual leader, was not going to leave his men in the lurch.
He walked in at what was an unintentional moment of mirth for all watching – Joe Root getting bowled through his legs, trying to play his favourite reverse-scoop, with an ungainly chicken dance of his splayed feet. Harry Brook got carried away going after a short ball, impetuously skying it to deep square-leg. And Dawid Malan, who looked the most fluent driving Logan van Beek repeatedly through the covers during his 87 off 74 balls, had perished to a mix-up, sent back by Stokes taking an ill-judged single.
Then Moeen Ali who kept finding fielders to his rising frustration, shirked his bottom hand off a powerless lofted drive and was caught at long-off. However, Chris Woakes was in no hurry and with Stokes, stitched together the largest partnership in the match.
Stokes drove Bas de Leede on the up and swivelled to pull him wide of square-leg, before driving Paul van Meekeren through the covers. But after watching Jos Buttler finding mid-off with a limp chip, he cut down on the risks. Still, there was an offering on 41, when he hooked to fine-leg and Aryan Dutt grassed it on the dive. But Stokes largely eschewed the urge to go bonkers, till the time was right.
Setting the platform
Between overs 27 and 39, England crawled at 3.5 an over, and there was a period of 62 deliveries in this time without a boundary, as Woakes and Stokes rebuilt the innings, taking it beyond the reach of the Dutch. The Netherlands’ bowling, that had famously punctured the South African middle order, was being countered by the rhyming duo.
“I wanted to take the game as deep as possible. We knew the wicket was good. We spent that time to gauge, assess and find the best circumstances to take risks,” Stokes said later. His last 50 runs came off 20 balls.
Stokes, who had shown some fight against Australia in the last game with a 64, would reach his second 50 clearing his front leg to slam De Leede over midwicket for his first six in the 43rd over.
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Three more came in the 45th, as Aryan Dutt completely lost it. When he first bowled short, Stokes rocked back to slash it over extra cover, as it eluded two diving fielders. Stokes would go further back in the crease to pull the next short one to deep square leg for a maximum, and then would hook a high full toss well over fine leg. The resultant free hit was in the slot, and he swung it to the deep mid-wicket fence. The over yielded 24 runs.
Stokes’ finest six was smacked straight over the bowler’s head to disrupt De Leede. By the time Logan van Beek’s missed yorker was ravaged as a full toss over long-on in the 50th over, Stokes had taken England to a cushy total. In quilting together a riposte at the backend after staving off a middle-overs debacle, Stokes, for the umpteenth time, dragged England out of trouble.
Buttler’s men will now head to Kolkata to finish off against Pakistan. A banner in the stands cheekily said, “We beat Bangladesh.” Thanks to Stokes, there was no humbling by the Netherlands.