"He is a situation player not just a personality player. He is a spectacular cricketer"
Monday 19 August 2019 11:34, UK
Nasser Hussain says every side in the world would want a player like Ben Stokes after the England all-rounder starred again at Lord's.
Stokes was Player of the Match in England's World Cup win over New Zealand at the ground last month and took the award again after he scored a century on day five of the drawn second Ashes Test.
The 28-year-old's 115 not out helped England declare on 258-5 with a lead of 266 but they were only able to claim six wickets in the remaining 47.3 overs as Australia held on to preserve their 1-0 lead in the series.
"His love affair with Lord's continues after that World Cup final, coming here, getting an Ashes hundred and showing that he can play," Sky Sports' Hussain said of Stokes, who came to the crease on day four with England tottering on 64-3 in their second innings.
"What you don't want from a player is to walk off and say 'that's the way I play'. He showed that he can play two different ways.
"He is a situation player not just a personality player. He is a spectacular cricketer and every side in the world would want him on and off the field."
The best part of two days were lost to rain in the Lord's Test, including the first hour of day five, but there was still a gripping finish to an absorbing game.
Jofra Archer bowled with express pace throughout on his Test debut, hitting Steve Smith on the neck and his concussion replacement Marnus Labuschagne on the grille.
"Unbelievable cricket. A good pitch for it with 250 around par but we had fragile batting line-ups and high-quality bowling," said Hussain.
"We will go on about Archer but you must not forget Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle.
"England were always fighting the weather, had to bat on a little longer, and didn't have enough time, but it was fantastic cricket for five days.
"[The draw] is not quite the Old Trafford moment of 2005 when Michael Vaughan turned to the huddle and said 'look at the Australians celebrating a draw'. Australia weren't celebrating a draw here.
"It just gives England with one super cricketer, in Archer, a change in dynamic of the series. They have the x-factor with the ball they didn't quite have."
Watch the third Test between England and Australia at Headingley from 10am, Thursday on Sky Sports The Ashes and Main Event.
