Stokes says 2019 ‘will be hard to top’ after scooping BBC award in Aberdeen
BBC Sports Personality of the Yearwinnerbenstokesreflected on an “awesome” 2019 and admitted: “It’s a shame 2020 has to start.”
The England all-rounder won the public vote for the prestigious prize in Aberdeen on Sunday night, with six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and 200 metres world champion Dina Asher-smith second and third respectively.
Stokes enjoyed a simply sensational summer in 2019, with his unbeaten 84 helping England set up a Super Over in the World Cup final against New Zealand, in which he came out to bat again as the hosts secured their first-ever 50-over world title. On its own that would have put him in contention for Sports Personality honours, but his astounding 135 not out to win the third Ashes Test at Headingley just over a month later made him the overwhelming favourite.
His individual honour topped a great night for English cricket, with the World Cup-winning side picking up the Team of the Year award while the success at Lord’s was also chosen as the Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year.
Stokes said: “2019 will be very hard to top and wipes away anything that happened in the year before that.
“As a person, and along with a lot of people, I’ll be able to look back on 2019 with amazing memories. We won Moment of the Year – everyone will always be able to look back at that and remember where they were for that. We were lucky that we were on the field to be a part of that. 2019 has just been awesome – it’s a shame 2020 has to start!
“The amount of new fans we’ve brought to the game, the amount of inspiring we’ve done for the next generation of England cricketers has just been amazing and we’re just very proud that we’ve been able to do that.”