England's unforgettable 2019: Ben Stokes the hero of World Cup win and miracle of Headingley
Thursday 26 December 2019 08:29, UK
There are years when cricket just captures the imagination of the British public.
It may be one of the country's most popular sports but in a nation where football so dominates the sporting conversation, those years do not come around often.
There are series or matches that pique the interest from time to time, not least the Ashes, but even then it takes something extraordinary to catapult English cricket to the forefront of public consciousness.
Prior to this year, it had happened just twice in the last 40 years. Now, thankfully, there is a third with 2019 joining 1981 and it's highly-popular sequel, 2005. Unlike most trilogies though, the third instalment might just be the best of the lot.
There was an explosive opening, followed by a lull, swiftly forgotten as we built towards not one but two of the most tensioned-filled, dramatic scenes you could ever wish to see. Yes, the finale left an awful lot to be desired but in years to come it will be little more than an aside in the story of an incredible 2019 for the England cricket team.
"There goes another one…"
The year began with something of a blast from the past: a four-pronged West Indies pace attack. England turned up in the Caribbean full of confidence after a comprehensive series win in Sri Lanka, but rather than the slow and turning pitches they were expecting, they were met with pace and bounce and promptly blasted out for 77 in Barbados. Just like old times… Jason Holder's double-hundred compounded their misery and by the time the Windies were given a taste of their own medicine by Mark Wood in St Lucia, the series was already lost.
The one-day series that followed was essentially a six-hitting competition. Records tumbled as ball after ball sailed over the ropes, Jos Buttler outdid himself with a frankly ridiculous 150 from 77 balls at St George's that included 12 sixes, only for Chris Gayle to outdo him with 14 maximums in his knock of 162 in the chase.
England won that particularly bonkers contest, but the series ended all square. The tourists finished on a high though, twice bowling West Indies out for under 100 to sweep the T20I series 3-0. Chris Jordan was the standout with the ball but all eyes were on another Caribbean-born bowler the next time Eoin Morgan's side were in action.
"What have you got, Jofra Archer?"
There may have been some debate, not least from the bowlers under threat, as to whether it was right to disrupt a winning team but as soon as Jofra Archer was available for selection he was drafted into the England squad.
The argument has been well and truly settled since then, of course, and the fast bowler opened his account in international cricket with a 90mph-plus yorker as in a rather nervier-than-expected ODI win over Ireland - not the last of those in 2019.
He continued to impress as England swept Pakistan aside in the T20I and one-day series that followed and the time came for the World Cup squad to be announced, the only question was who would be the unfortunate bowler to miss out. But while David Willey was left to rue his bad luck, for those who made the XV, the time had arrived and England expected.
"No way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes!"
Every major tournament needs that moment. A spark, something to give it real momentum. Well, the 2019 Cricket World Cup did not need long. Ben Stokes had already done his bit with the bat, top-scoring with 89 in the opening game against South Africa, and England were well on their to a comfortable win when Andile Phehlukwayo nailed a slog-sweep over Adil Rashid.
The ball appeared destined to sail into the stands at The Oval, a six that signalled that the Proteas were perhaps not quite finished yet. Instead, Stokes flung himself into the air at deep midwicket, thrust his right arm above his head and plucked the ball out of the sky.
"Oh, no way! No way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes!" exclaimed Nasser Hussain on commentary. The look on Stokes' face suggested even he could scarcely believe he had. Replays showed a sea of astonished faces behind him in the crowd.
The World Cup was up and running and Stokes was only just getting started.
Victory over South Africa was followed by a surprise defeat to Pakistan in a thriller at Trent Bridge but England quickly shook it off and after wins over Bangladesh, West Indies and Afghanistan, they knew a win over unfancied Sri Lanka would all-but secure their passage to their last four.
Ah. With Sri Lanka defending just 232, Lasith Malinga rolled back the years and the hosts were suddenly 186-9 at Headingley. Stokes fought valiantly, lashing the ball over the ropes time and again but it wasn't enough as Wood edged behind with England 20 runs short. Still with 47 needed and only one wicket remaining, what chance did Stokes ever really have?
That defeat was compounded by another, this time to Australia at Lord's, Stokes again raging against the dying of the light before Mitchell Starc's millimetre-perfect yorker snuffed it out completely.
The pre-tournament favourites were facing an embarrassing early exit and, as such, the knockout stages had arrived early for Morgan's men and first up was the side who had replaced at the top of the world rankings: India.
Jonny Bairstow's stunning hundred helped England to an imposing total but it took some inspired middle-overs bowling from Liam Plunkett - plus some questionable tactics from MS Dhoni - to get the home side over the line at Edgbaston.
Bairstow was at it again at Durham. Another century as New Zealand were swatted aside. The Black Caps had limped their way over the finish line to make the semis and seemed to have very little left in the tank...
Meanwhile, England marched on as if doing so had never been in doubt.
"The boys in blue are on fire!"
It was back to Edgbaston for the semi-final and a renewing of old rivalries with Australia the opponents. After the Aussies win earlier in the competition, this was expected to be a close-fought contest.
It was not.
The England supporters had been celebrating their side's triumph long before Morgan hit the winning runs with some 17.5 overs to spare. This was England at their destructive best.
Archer struck with his first ball to remove Aaron Finch, a centurion in the last game between the sides, and when Chris Woakes got rid of David Warner - with an absolute snorter - and Peter Handscomb, Australia were 14-3. They recovered to post 223 but it was never going to be enough.
Jason Roy was irresistible, the decibel level inside Edgbaston rising with every dismissive swish of the blade as a formidable Aussie attack were brought to their knees. A controversial dismissal cost him the century he deserved but it did little to affect the outcome, England into the World Cup final for the first time since 1992.
"England have won the World Cup by the barest of margins! By the barest of all margins!"
The problem with finals is that they are so often a let-down. All the build-up, the excitement, the suspense and so much hype that when it comes it is, the match itself just cannot live up to it. Great for the winners but rather forgettable affairs for the rest of us…
When England were set 242 to win, even on a tricky pitch and with the pressure of chasing in a World Cup final, there were very few indicators of the all-time classic this would become.
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There was more scope for it at 86-4 with Morgan trudging off and the run-rate beginning to climb. Certainly the tension was already reaching unbearable levels with England fans aware that the loss of Stokes or Buttler at that stage would likely be fatal to their chances.
As it was, the pair gradually guided England towards their target, perfectly picking the moments to attack, remaining ice-cool as all around them nerves were shredding, wracking, jangling - you name it, nerves all across England were doing it.
Forty-six off 32 balls required. Two set batsmen in. England were nearly there. And then they weren't. Buttler gone and the game changed again.
Woakes came and went, Plunkett managed a boundary but soon followed and the very next ball, Stokes should have too. With 22 from nine balls required, he heaved the ball towards mid-on, Trent Boult steadied himself, pouched the catch but then, momentarily losing his bearings, stepped back. Foot on the rope. Six. Forget joy, it was unbridled relief for England.
Archer fell leaving England needing 15 from the final over. That was quickly 15 from four balls as Boult went about making amends for his misstep but Stokes never knowing when he is beaten, slog-swept the next ball for six. Nine from three then suddenly, remarkably, controversially three from two. The cruellest of ricochets for New Zealand, the ball roared all the way to the boundary by their opponents. Stokes apologetic, the home crowd simply ecstatic.
Adil Rashid sacrificed himself to get Stokes back on strike for the last ball, two from one. A juicy full toss from Boult but Stokes played it safe, trying, unsuccessfully, to find the gap. Wood run out by a distance. A tied World Cup final.
"We're going to a Super Over!" cried Ian Smith.
Back came Stokes, Buttler in tow. Boult the bowler again, this time it was 15 from the over. It felt like enough, even after a harsh wide was called against Archer first up, it felt like enough. It felt like enough right up until the moment Jimmy Neesham launched the second legitimate ball of the over into the stands.
Seven from four. Misfield, five from three. Throw to the wrong end, three from two. We're back here again. Two from one and from here I think it is best to hand you over to Ian Smith…
"Archer to Guptill. Two to win. Guptill's going to push for two, they've got to go! He's got to throw to the 'keeper's end… he's got it! England have won the World Cup by the barest of margins! By the barest of all margins! Absolute ecstasy for England! Agony, agony for New Zealand."
That was it. The greatest World Cup final there has ever been and it will take some beating. Scores level, even after a Super Over but, thanks to boundary countback, England lifted the trophy. Where could the summer possibly go from there?
"Take a bow, Ben Stokes! The Ashes well and truly alive because of one cricketer."
Time to celebrate was in short supply for England with a number of the squad barely able to catch their breath before they were back at Lord's for the one-off Test against Ireland. Rather than ride the wave of euphoria following the World Cup win, England were overwhelmed by it as they were bowled out for 85 on the first day.
They fought back to avoid a shock defeat, bowling Ireland out for 38 to record a rather flattering 143-run win but Australia would be rather less forgiving in the Ashes that followed.
The tourists retained the urn in the main thanks to a supreme bowling attack, led by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and the brilliance of Steve Smith. The former skipper rescued Australia with a century in the first innings at Edgbaston and set up the win with another in the second.
Meanwhile, England were left to rue a calf injury to Jimmy Anderson four overs into his opening spell that ruled their leading wicket-taker out for the series.
It was honours even at Lord's but England left the game with renewed hope. A remarkable spell of fast bowling from Archer, on his Test debut, saw him clock 96mph and really trouble Smith, hitting him twice, the sickening second blow forcing the batsman to retire hurt and ruling him out of the third Test.
As Jack Leach walked out to bat on the fourth afternoon at Headingley, the absence of Smith and the emergence of England's new fast bowler barely seemed to matter. Australia were about to retain the Ashes. Having been rolled out for 67 in the first innings, England had shown fight in the second in pursuit of 359 for victory but another collapse had left them on the brink.
Stokes remained, of course, but 73 to win with just one wicket remaining was not worth seriously considering. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when that changed. Was it the outrageous switch-hit/ reverse slog-sweep for six off Lyon? Perhaps the boundary muscled through midwicket to bring up his hundred? Maybe the glorious back-foot punch back past Cummins to take the required runs into single figures?
It will go down as one of the great innings by an England batsman, one of the best Test knocks of all-time and yet for all Stokes' brilliance, for anyone with an allegiance to either England or Australia, watching it was agony. Almost unbearable.
With eight to win, Stokes hit Nathan Lyon back down the ground and time stood still, Marnus Labuschagne was braced at long off for a simple catch but somehow the ball kept going and crept over his head.
Two to win and the fun really starts. Stokes reverse sweeps and Leach is suddenly stood next to him. The throw goes to Lyon, the capacity crowd at Headingley gasp as one and… it's fumbled! Stokes is wide-eyed, Lyon is on his haunches and the whole thing is just surreal.
Still two to win, Stokes sweeps, misses and is rapped on the pad. Australia go up as one but umpire Wilson is unmoved. Ball-tracking shows it was hitting the stumps but it matters not in the slightest. Australia have no reviews left, the last of them wasted a couple of overs previous.
Helmet off, glasses off, wipe glasses, glasses on, helmet on. Leach goes through the routine again. Still, remarkably, two to win. Cummins charges in, nudged off the hip by Leach and he sprints through for arguably the most talked about single in the history of English cricket. Scores are level.
Stokes does the rest, punching the air and bellowing to the heavens before the crowd even realise the ball has beaten the infield. The miracle of Headingley (part 2) is complete.
There was no fairy tale ending for Stokes and England, beaten at Old Trafford as Smith returned with a double ton to ensure the Ashes were to stay in Australian hands. England's win at The Oval meant a pulsating series ended all square. The class of Smith will remembered, and rightly so, but Stokes' brilliance on that Sunday afternoon in Leeds is what will surely never be forgotten.
"The wait is over now"
How do you follow a summer like that? Well, England opted for a rather low-key tour of New Zealand. It was a much-changed white-ball side that triumphed, rather fittingly, after a Super Over in the five-match T20I series but the Test side went down 1-0 over two Tests.
Defeat in the first Test piled pressure on captain Joe Root. It was his own form the bat as much as the form of the team causing concern. The Yorkshireman responded in Hamilton, ending a nine-month wait for a Test century and he turned it into a double.
It was a positive end to the tour for Root. England will hope the skipper can maintain that form as the Test side aim to make strides in 2020, starting in South Africa, while Morgan's white-ball team will have the T20 World Cup in their sights.
Whatever happens in the next 12 months, it will take something truly remarkable to top 2019.
Watch the first Test between South Africa and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7am on Boxing Day.
