STOKES UNDERLINES WORLD CUP CREDENTIALS WITH LIONS 151

Ben Stokes’ 151 crowned a series victory for the England Lions over South Africa A. Omitted from England’s ICC Cricket World Cup squad, Stokes has been in fine form of late, and this astonishing innings which boasted 15 sixes seemed one step beyond proving a point.

Already 2-0 up over their hosts in South Africa, the Lions were treated to an exhibition from Stoke, with a number of his sixes flying out of the ground into the town of Marmelodi in Pretoria. 

If scoring nearly half of the Lions’ imposing 378-6 wasn’t enough, he then took three wickets to ensure that South Africa A were reduced to an 89-run defeat.

“It was one of those innings where everything went my way,” he said. 

“I was quite lucky that the boundary was quite small.

“Probably, if this game had been played on a normal-sized pitch, I would have been out a couple of times.”

After arriving the crease with the Lions wobbling on 123-3, Stokes first fired with Jonny Bairstow then Sam Billings as they pushed on to 347-5. Billings proved an excellent lower-order talent in quickly reaching 56 from 33, while Jason Roy continued his excellent form at the top of the order, amazing a valuable 67 from 72 to lay the Lions’ platform. 

Samit Patel, batting at seven, was run out after striking his first ball for four while Nottinghamshire’s other representative on the tour, Harry Gurney, was ruled out through injury.

While South Africa A proved competitive in the first 30 overs thanks to 79 from opening batsman Dean Elgar. He failed to forge a meaningful partnership though, as wickets from Mark Wood, Boyd Rankin and Tim Bresnan broke the back of the South Africans’ top order.

Chris Morris, batting at number eight, proved stubborn, ending the match 58 not out, but Stokes hoovered up the tail to secure the series for the Lions and firmly place his name back in the hat for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don't miss the chance to take in what promises to be an absorbing contest and secure your seat now.