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The end came swiftly. It took New Zealand only 51.2 overs to wrap up the England second innings at Trent Bridge. Jamie Smith’s slog against Mitchell Santner ended in the hands of a diving Nathan Smith, running in from long-on. That was not just the end of the third Test. It was also the end…
Read More “Bazball Ends: How Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum changed Test cricket” »
England’s Ben Stokes. | Photo Credit: Reuters Former England captain Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to coach the national team in future, insisting that he has the required experience to be successful in the position. The 35-year-old all-rounder retired from international cricket in June during England’s Test series against New Zealand, drawing curtains to…
Read More “I would love to coach England one day: Ben Stokes” »
It was 25 years ago that Mark Butcher scored a monumental 173 not out in England’s successful chase against Australia in the Headingley Test. He scored seven other Test hundreds, some of them against the most fearsome attacks. He is now a popular commentator and sharp analyst of the game. Excerpts from Butcher’s exclusive interview…
England’s Ben Stokes | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect…
Read More “The captain is the focal point of pressure; he always feels the heat” »
It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect on the game reach a point when the ‘honour’ doesn’t…
Read More “The captain is the focal point of pressure; he always feels the heat” »
Influential: Banton was all praise for Stokes’ impact on the game and the England team. | Photo Credit: Reuters Ben Stokes’ magical knock at Headingley against Australia in 2019 defied all odds, as the England all-rounder, alongside No. 11 Jack Leach, pulled off one of the most improbable victories in Test history. The innings was…
Read More “I’ll always remember Stokes’ Headingley knock: England batter Tom Banton” »
Splendid: Stokes leaves the international arena as one of England’s most celebrated all-rounders. | Photo Credit: Getty Images The guarded player and the maverick talisman. English cricket has often thrown up players in these two categories. In the segment of the magician star, lit up by Ian Botham, and briefly embellished by Andrew Flintoff, Ben…
Read More “Ben Stokes walks away with the aura of a miracle-worker” »
England’s Ben Stokes | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters Two men born in New Zealand have been in the headlines recently. For one of them, Ben Stokes, born in Christchurch, the headline is his natural habitat. The other, Kane Williamson, born in Tauranga, announced his retirement in the middle of a Test series against…
Read More “Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson and the power of the image” »
Two men born in New Zealand have been in the headlines recently. For one of them, Ben Stokes, born in Christchurch, the headline is his natural habitat. The other, Kane Williamson, born in Tauranga, announced his retirement in the middle of a Test series against an England side originally led by Stokes. Williamson is one…
Read More “Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson and the power of the image” »
England captain Ben Stokes | Photo Credit: Reuters England captain Ben Stokes’ recovery from a broken cheekbone will keep him sidelined for the start of the county cricket season. The 34-year-old Durham star was was hit by a ball during a training session with academy players early last month, and he had surgery soon afterward….
Read More “England captain Ben Stokes still recovering from a broken cheekbone” »