BIG BEN STRIKES

FROM BACK PAGE victory by taking two wickets in as many balls, ran out Dwaine Pretorius and crowned an all-action display with a stupendous one-handed grab, falling backwards, to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo.

But the Durham star feared he had made a mess of the chance at deep midwicket, admitting: “I was in the wrong position. If I had been in the right place, it would have been a regulation catch.

“What was going through my mind when it was in the air? I probably said ‘Oh, s***’ about five times in my head.

“But the crowd’s reaction behind me was awesome and that feeling for about five seconds when I was stood there facing them was phenomenal. I tried to take it all in as much as I could.

“Being an all-rounder, it’s nice when you can influence the game in every way.”

Asked if it was an even better grab than his catch-abullet effort to dismiss Adam Voges in the Ashes at Trent Bridge four years ago, Stokes grinned: “No – because that was against Australia!”

England skipper Eoin Morgan (top) was in awe of Stokes, saying: “Ben’s had a full day out – and when he does that, it’s entertaining and great for the team.

“I thought he’d misjudged the catch at first and it was going way over his head. The only one I’ve seen like it was by AB de Villiers in Bangalore. I don’t know how to describe it – except unbelievable.”

South African captain Faf du Plessis (above) admitted: “England were better than us in all three facets of the game.

“Stokes is a three-in-one cricketer and his catch was brilliant, as good as it gets.”

England’s next World Cup game is against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday.