Stokes strikes form
Change in format, change in fortune for Ben Stokes.
The suspended English cricket star amassed just 36 runs in three Ford Trophy 50-over innings for Canterbury, but demonstrated his class in their Twenty20 Super Smash opener on Thursday.
He belted 93 off 47 balls, including seven sixes and six fours, to lead the Kings to a 134-run thumping of the Otago Volts at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.
Stokes, who is barred by the England and Wales Cricket Board for his alleged involvement in a Bristol street brawl, has struggled in 50-over cricket since returning to the sport for the first time in 10 weeks.
The 26-year-old was MVP of the Indian T20 Premier League this year for the Rising Pune Supergiant for a reason and blasted his way out of his minislump.
He showed his trademark aggressive batting approach, while also accumulating runs around Hagley’s vast outfield.
Stokes remains off limits to media while his file sits with the Crown Prosecution Service, leaving Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis to do the talking.
‘‘You could use a number of words to describe that, but that’s what world class is,’’ Ellis said.
‘‘He showed that in the temperament of the innings, it shows experience. It’s a match-winning innings.’’
Stokes looked poised to bring up three figures, but was held by Neil Broom at long off as he tried to clear the fence with three balls left in the innings.
The powerful left-hander punished Jimmy Neesham for back-to-back sixes in the 18th over. It would have tasted extra sweet for Stokes after Neesham said "It’s not like Don Bradman is walking out to bat for Canterbury’’ before the teams met in the opening round of the one-day competition at Rangiora. Stokes was ruthless on anything short and wide, sending four of his sixes over the deep midwicket boundary and the other three straight down the ground.
He didn’t take many risks early on with Canterbury in a spot of bother at 96-5 in the 11th over. His half century came from 29 balls, but in the final overs, Stokes accelerated the scoring and looked to go big.
‘‘Just the cleanness [was outstanding],’’ Ellis said. ‘‘The sound of the ball off the bat, you’d pay the admission fee to come and see that.’’ Ellis warned they couldn’t
rely on Stokes to do that every match, but was delighted with the cameos opener Michael Pollard
(33), Cole McConchie (21) and Tim Johnston (21) provided.
‘‘There’s plenty of guys in our team who can play very similar innings.
‘‘If we’re going to do well in this tournament, it’s going to be guys stepping up at different times. We can’t get into the habit of sitting back and waiting for the pro to do that every innings, because that’s not the way cricket works.’’
Stokes’ lofty-hitting helped Canterbury get through to an imposing 217-9.
His strong play carried over to the bowling effort. He was involved in Otago’s first wicket, taking a regulation catch to remove opener Hamish Rutherford.
He then struck in his first over with the ball, getting rid of Otago skipper and top scorer Rob Nicol
(26), who chipped one to Will Williams. Stokes took 1-17 from two overs.
Otago never threatened in response, equalling their lowest
T20 score (83) as they were bowled out in just 11.4 overs.
Black Caps seamer Matt Henry and offspinner McConchie set the tone opening the bowling for the Kings, both taking early wickets and ending up with two each.
Legspinner Todd Astle warmed up for his Black Caps outing against the West Indies at Whangarei on Wednesday with
3-18 and was on a hat-trick when he dismissed Josh Finnie and Brad Wilson in successive deliveries.