STOKES OFF TO A FLYER

Ben gets runs, wickets, a run-out and THAT catch

It does not get too much better than this. It was close to the perfect start for england, an emphatic victory against a south Africa side who fully examined their credentials as World Cup favourites.

england, brilliantly and with great adaptability, passed with flying colours. It was, dare one say it so early, the performance of potential champions.

First there was a serious test of england’s ability to post big scores on something other than the flat practice pitches as they demonstrated great skill in the face of impressive south African bowling and fielding to make yet another score of 300-plus.

then they set about defending what was still little more than a par score of 311 for eight with great pace and hostility, mainly through a man playing in just his fourth one-day international but who already looks destined for an outstanding career, Jofra Archer.

And, above all, there was the restoration to talisman status of a certain Ben stokes. He was at the centre of all they did right with the bat and then, gloriously, in the field with a run out before a simply breathtaking, unbelievable catch. the man even popped up to take the last two wickets in successive balls as south Africa plummeted to 207 all out.

In truth, south Africa did little wrong. their captain, Faf du Plessis, sprang the first surprise of the World Cup after winning what seemed an important toss when he opened the bowling with Imran tahir and then saw the legspinner strike by having Jonny Bairstow caught behind off the second ball of the game.

the 40-year-old immediately set off on the trademark exuberant celebration of a much younger man and england’s dynamic opening partnership were surely served notice that other opponents will follow du Plessis in testing them out with early spin.

It was the last thing england needed after all the anticipation and excitement ahead of ‘their’ World Cup, but Jason Roy and Joe Root reacted sensibly in repairing the damage in a stand of 106 until both fell within four balls.

there would have been times during their one- day revolution when england would have carried on with all guns blazing and been bowled out cheaply, but they have learned to adapt to conditions and realised this was not a 350-plus oval surface.

Instead they reacted smartly through captain eoin Morgan, showing no signs of the finger injury that appeared to threaten his World Cup just a week ago, and stokes, producing his best innings for england since his infamous night out in Bristol.

It is a measure of england’s display that their first sixes, two in successive balls from Morgan off Lungi Ngidi, did not come until the 26th over as south Africa produced an athletic display in the field with good catches from Aiden Markram and du Plessis.

Morgan was to add one more six in his 57 off 60 balls, but no other england batsman was able to clear the ropes. Four reached halfcenturies but none went on to the three-figure score that would have put south Africa out of the game.

As it was, stokes fell for 89 off 79 balls and england had to settle for what was still their 39th 50- over score in excess of 300 in 86 games since the last World Cup. It turned out to be more than enough.

england, whatever they said in public, were determined to include Archer in this World Cup from the moment they changed their qualification rules to make him eligible for the land of his father at the end of November. And here he showed why.

Archer had creamed his first ball through the covers for four — there

is much to come in his batting — and then immediately bowled in excess of 90mph to hurry and then hurt South Africa when they were still very much in the contest.

Nothing emphasised what a potent performer Archer already is in the infancy of his international career than the 90mph thunderbolt that thudded into the grille of Hashim Amla’s helmet and forced him to retire hurt.

There were also rapid deliveries to dismiss Markram and Du Plessis and he returned to show he can be just as effective in the middle overs to see the back of Rassie van der Dussen. It took something special to eclipse Archer, but Stokes, who has not looked entirely like his pre-Bristol self for much of the last 18 months, provided it. He ran out Dwaine Pretorius with an excellent throw, but that was nothing compared to the catch that even surpasses his famous Ashes grab off Stuart Broad at Trent Bridge.

Andile Phehlukwayo swung Adil Rashid long and high towards the midwicket boundary where Stokes ran in before adjusting his sights and leaping to pull off the most extraordinary one-handed grab with his right hand almost over his left shoulder. Unreal.

Liam Plunkett (below), preferred by Morgan to Mark Wood, played his part by claiming dangerman Quinton de Kock, who had survived a ball from Rashid that struck his off stump but did not dislodge the heavy Zing bail, and Amla, returning after two concussion tests.

But who else other than Stokes had the final word when he claimed the last two wickets to complete England’s day. It is only a start, of course, but it was a highly satisfactory one for England who move on to play Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday. They even played Football’s Coming Home at the Oval straight after the win.

They have had worse starts to World Cups.