(^50) DAILY MIRROR MONDAY 26.08.2019
DM1ST
THE ASHES ENGLAND PULL OFF MIRACULOUS
THAT’S ALL
Our Ben produced the craziest, most thrilling, most
miraculous performance OF ALL TIME to win this,
the greatest, most exciting match OF ALL TIME
mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket
RATINGS by NEIL SQUIRES
ENGLAND
Rory Burns
Failed in both innings
and was uncomfortable
against the short ball
Jason Roy
Out to ball of the match
from Pat Cummins, but
NOT a Test opener
Joe Root
Superbly disciplined on
Saturday but threw his
wicket away yesterday
Joe Denly
His half century was a
gutsy response with
Test career on line
Ben Stokes
Heroic all-round display
culminating in the
innings of his lifetime
Jonny Bairstow
Positive contribution
yesterday morning but
suspect glovework
Jos Buttler
Poor game puts place
at risk, even though
run out wasn’t his fault
Chris Woakes
Disappointing with ball
and bat at a venue that
was made for him
Jofra Archer
Clever first-day bowling
brought rewards, but
then ran out of juice
Stuart Broad
With more luck he
could have picked up
more than four wickets
Jack Leach
Epic stonewalling in
support of Stokes, and
wicket with his first ball
3
7
10
4
8
2 7 5 4 7 9
AUSTRALIA
David Warner
Gritty half century
when batting was tough
and boatload of catches
Marcus Harris
Came in for Bancroft,
but offered little and
dropped Stokes in deep
Usman Khawaja
Underperforming,
underwhelming and
unnoticed
Marnus Labuschagne
Who needs Steve
Smith? Filled in at No.4
like the master batsman
Travis Head
Direct hit to run out
Buttler and useful
contribution with bat
Matthew Wade
Important partnership
with Labuschagne in
Aussies’ second innings
Tim Paine
The batting struggle
continues for tourists’
misfiring captain
James Pattinson
Strong seam support
act in high-quality
bowling attack
Pat Cummins
Terrific spearhead who
deployed brains as well
as brawn
Nathan Lyon
Passed Dennis Lillee on
wicket front but blew
golden run out chance
Josh Hazlewood
Hit lengths relentlessly
in outstanding display...
until Stokes’ onslaught
7
4
6
4
7
3 9 6 7 5 8
BEN STOKES... those are
the only two words needed
to describe the craziest,
most thrilling, miraculous
performance from an
English cricketer in 142
years of Test drama.
England’s heroic all-
rounder kept their Ashes
hopes alive with the most
outrageous innings of 135 not
out to redefine what is
possible in this, the greatest
format of the game.
The moment Stokes cut
Pat Cummins through the
covers for another boundary
and held both arms aloft was
the moment England chased
down a record 359 to win at
Headingley.
And Stokes took his legend
into yet another realm.
How on earth could this
man – who delivered the
World Cup to the nation
barely six weeks ago with the
most dramatic of innings –
outdo himself in such
spectacular style?
On the ground where Ian
Botham produced the
previous best in 1981, he
could only watch on with
mounting pride as Stokes
went one better.
He carried England to a
one-wicket win that levels
the series and keeps this
incredible, glorious summer
alive for a few more weeks.
To say that England’s
hopes were on life support
when Stuart Broad was
trapped leg-before by Josh
Hazlewood with 73 more still
needed would be the
understatement of the year.
Stokes was on 61 at that
stage and little was expected
of Jack Leach, despite his 92
against Ireland.
And yet between the shots
of adrenaline pumped into
the stands by Stokes, and the
calm bedside manner of
Leach who kept him
company, England’s Ashes
n r t l e t d 2 s o e
ff
m
s
Emerald Headingley,^ England beat
Australia by 1 wicket
Australia 179 (M Labuschagne 74, D A
Warner 61, J C Archer 6-45) and 246
(Labuschagne 80, Stokes 3-56)
England 67 (Hazlewood 5-30, Cummins
3-23)
ENGLAND SECOND INNINGS
R Burns c Warner b Hazlewood ....................7
J Roy b Cummins ..........................................8
J Root c Warner b Lyon ..............................77
J Denly c Paine b Hazlewood .................... 50
B Stokes not out ....................................... 135
J Bairstow c Labuschagne b Hazlewood ...36
J Buttler run out ............................................1
C Woakes c Wade b Hazlewood .....................1
J Archer c Head b Lyon .............................. 15
S Broad lbw b Pattinson .............................. 0
J Leach not out^ ..............................................^1
Extras b5 lb15 w10 nb1^ ...........................^31
Total 9 wkts (125.4 overs) .................^362
Fall: 1-15; 2-15; 3-141; 4-159; 5-245; 6-253;
7-261; 8-286 9-286
Bowling: Cummins 24.4-5-80-1;
Hazlewood 31-11-85-4; Lyon 39-5-114-2;
Pattinson 25-9-47-1; Labuschagne 6-0-16-0
SCOREBOARD
BEN STOKES after the
fall of the ninth wicket
at 286:
6, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 1, 6,
0, 0, 0, 6, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0,
6, 2, 1, 4, 6, 6, 2, 1, 0,
0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 4, 4, 1, 0,
0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 4
74 runs from 42 balls
BBENSSTOTOKESS fftft tthhh
42 BALLS
...72 RUNS
BY DEAN WILSON
Cricket Correspondent
@CricketMirror
raptures. They still believed.
Stokes followed that up with
an over of brazen big-hitting
against Hazlewood that he
took for 19 and included two
monster sixes.
This was Ashes cricket at
its most exhilarating.
And as long as there is air
in Stokes’ lungs and a bat in
his hands, you can never be
certain of the outcome.
With the series tied at 1-1,
this will take some getting
over by the Australians who
had their chances to win but
couldn’t handle the pressure.
Marcus Harris had the
opportunity to be the Aussie
hero but he spilled the catch
offered by Stokes at third
man.
The Baggy Greens
appealed for an lbw against
Leach that clearly struck
him outside leg stump and
they used up their final
review going for broke.
In the next over,
bowled by Lyon, Leach
was left stranded going
for a run that was
never there.
All Lyon had to do
was break the
wicket – but he
dropped the ball
with Leach well
short of his
ground.
And the very
next ball Lyon
had a huge
appeal for
lbw against
Stokes that
was
turned
down.
The replay showed that a
review would have won
them the game – and with it
the Ashes.
As former Aussie skipper
Ricky Ponting said on
commentary: “There was no
way that the first review
could ever have been out.
“They burned the review
and it has cost them the
Te s t m a t c h .”
hopes were resuscitated in
the most remarkable way.
In their partnership of 76,
Stokes struck 74 of them with
four fours and seven sixes in
an astonishing effort that he
found hard to describe.
He said: “I don’t know how
I did it. I know we’ve won the
game but I’m pretty tired to
be honest. It was just a great
day.
“It’s never over ’til it’s over
and I only got nervy when it
got down to the last 10. I had
my pitching wedge at the
perfect distance today!
“The pressure Jack is under
out there... those will be the
most crucial 15 balls he will
ever face. He’s got serious
b**s to stand up and do
what he did.”
First Stokes took down
Nathan Lyon – Australia’s
third-highest wicket-taker of
all time, behind only Shane
Warne and Glenn McGrath.
A pair of straight sixes were
followed up with a reverse
slog sweep for six into the
Western Terrace that sent an
already frenzied crowd into
STILL TO COME...
4TH TEST: Old Trafford,^
starts Wednesday Sept 4
5TH TEST: Kia Oval, starts
Thursday Sept 12
jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1