Stokes wasn’t looking for trouble, says England team-mate Ball

ENGLAND cricketer Jake Ball told Bristol Crown Court that Ben Stokes was ‘certainly not looking for trouble’ on the night he allegedly knocked two men unconscious last year. He described the Durham all-rounder as having been ‘in a good mood’ and ‘chilled’ after England’s one-day international victory over West Indies. Ball added that before he left his fellow players shortly after 1am in the morning of September 25, and around an hour and a half before the alleged brawl started, Stokes was ‘calm, relaxed and controlled’. The Nottinghamshire cricketer was giving evidence on behalf of Stokes, who is standing trial for affray and denies the charge. During cross-examination yesterday, Stokes said he had at least 10 alcoholic drinks that evening, including six vodka-based drinks and ‘potentially some Jagerbombs’, which are a mix of Jagermeister and Red Bull. In a written statement, Ball said that it was not ‘a wild night out’ and Stokes was not drunk. Although Ball had not played in the day-night match, which England won by 124 runs, he went out with Stokes, Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett and James Anderson afterwards to celebrate. Ball wrote that Stokes had performed ‘well’ and after the game was ‘in a good mood’. Ball and his team-mates left their hotel at 11.25pm, visiting Mbargo nightclub first. At 12.45am, Stokes, Hales, Anderson and Ball left Mbargo and went to another club called Pryzm, the court heard. About 10 minutes later, Ball returned to his hotel alone. ‘When I left Ben, he was sat in a booth with Alex (Hales) and James (Anderson), still chatting about the cricket and the match earlier in the day,’ his statement added. ‘He was chilled out. I would not say that Ben was drunk, he was calm, relaxed and controlled. He was certainly not looking for trouble.’ The trial continues.