Crowd agog as Stokes limbers up in Rangiora
The Coronation Street theme tune tinkling over the oval made New Zealand-born England cricketer Ben Stokes feel at home.
Kids, some fully grown ones too, pestered the under-fire all-rounder for autographs and selfies. Every leap and launch, wave and wink, was captured by the whirr of camera shutter or gaze of a television camera.
The fact he missed a straight ball for just two runs, and went wicketless, didn’t seem to matter: He’ll be better for the gallop.
And if the Crown Prosecution Service in England don’t charge him with assault after a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub, he can hit the ground running if and when he’s called into the fire of the Ashes.
A crowd of around 350 sought shade on the grass embankment of the picturesque Mainpower Oval in Rangiora. It was a disappointing turnout, especially given the scorching weather and the star attraction. But the Stokes factor was probably only worth an extra 50 or so spectators. But still, they enjoyed having the controversial Christchurch-born cricketer in their midst.
They urged him to do well. He was greeted to the batting crease with, by conservative Canterbury standards, uproarious polite applause.
The debutant’s bare bat bore no sponsorship stickers. His first ball, blocked with a straight bat, earned appreciative claps.
Big stars have performed well here before — memorably a classy Rahul Dravid century, Martin Guptill pumping a ball over the pavilion, over the road and on to the railway line . . . and Pete Fulton’s record-breaking ton in last year’s Ford Trophy final.
So when Stokes was bowled by Anaru Kitchen’s left-arm orthodox for just two runs after seven balls, the crowd collectively groaned. “Okay, let’s go then,” one fan joked. Canterbury struggled through to a sub-par 221 on what looked a batting paradise of a pitch. During the change of innings, Stokes signed more autographs, stopped for selfies, and chatted away with young fans.
When he took the new white ball in his hands, the crowd were excited again.
His first over didn’t disappoint. Fire and pace, a massive LBW shout that looked plumb to beer drinkers at square leg, and a sharp dropped catch at slip.
Stokes toiled without luck, created chances, but probably bowled a tad too short.
“Stokesy, what are we paying for?” one wag on the bank yelled.
He looked like a guy who’s short of a gallop and who had just flown halfway around the world, funnily enough.
He bowled two spells of four overs and his second looked livelier.
After his eighth over, he appeared to tweak his back or strain his side. A drink between overs, a crouch on his haunches, and he had a short graze at first slip.
It sent nerves fluttering for the English tabloid scribes sweltering in the portacabin pressbox that has never seen such activity.
After the Otago openers put on 175 for the first wicket, the Volts then shuffled spectacularly, losing seven wickets for just 23 runs.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man? It wasn’t to be. His first ball was snicked through slips and the third was smashed for six on to the now largely emptied embankment.