PRAYERS Stokes and Root give hosts hope
BEN STOKES’ first slice of birthday cake as Test captain turned him into England’s gateau blaster.
On the day he turned 31, he produced a half-century decorated with brainstorms and brilliance in a Lord’s thriller.
And if England win the 1st LV= Insurance Test against New Zealand today, Stokes’ defiant 54 will go down as the turning point.
Set 277 to win, he marched to the crease with England in disarray at 69-4 – and batted like he wanted to have his cake and eat it.
Closing on 216-5, they still need another 61.
But Joe Root is 77 not out after four hours and 20 minutes of application, and Stokes’ predecessor has yet to play a false shot.
Stuart Broad, whose ‘hattrick’ in the first session had begun England’s memorable fightback, said: “I think Ben is at his best when he has the game on the line. That’s always the sign of a world-class player and a world-class character.
“He has played some incredible knocks in the first innings of Test matches before, but he’s a situation player – it suits him when it’s laid out in front of him.
“It would be right up there if we could get over the line.
“We will need a positive mindset to finish the job, but the way Rooty and Stokesy played today showed how this team wants to go about it.”
Presented with a card signed by his team-mates in the huddle before start of play, Big Ben had scored only one when he was castled by Colin de Grandhomme. He was halfway back to the pavilion before he was reprieved by a marginal no-ball call. But he deposited Ajaz Patel’s left-arm spin dismissively into the randstand for three sixes.
And just as Stokes was threatening to turn 142 minutes of defiance into match-winning violence, he was bounced out by all-rounder Kyle Jamieson (4-59), gloving an attempted upper-cut to keeper Tom Blundell.
Stokes left Root to give his first game as skipper a happy ending – and so far he has played another blinder of an innings.
England had begun the day staring down the barrel, with New Zealand 227 runs ahead with six wickets in hand.
It was Broad who gave them hope of drawing first blood – even if he didn’t unfurl his promised bow-and-arrow celebration in honour of his beloved Nottingham Forest’s promotion.
Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell put on a 195-run stand.
But when Mitchell’s 307-minute vigil for a superb 108 ended, nibbling at Broad’s leg-cutter down the slope, the Black Caps went downhill fast.
De Grandhomme was run out by Ollie Pope’s direct hit next ball,.
And from the next Broad sent Jamieson’s off-stump for a spin to complete the team hat-trick, before debutant Matt Potts finished with impressive match figures of 7-68.
With 75 overs plus two days to reach the summit, England had all the time in the world to pull off their second-highest run chase at Lord’s.
But until the captain went for broke to chase their second Test win in 18 games, they brought only canapes to the feast.
Alex Lees shouldered arms to a straight ball, and Ollie Pope doesn’t look like a Test No.3, while the gate between Jonny Bairstow’s bat and pad was wide enough for a coach and horses.