BEN FREDDIE TO RULE Stokes will follow in FIVE SPOTY RIVALS Flintoff’s footsteps
BEN STOKES can expect to add another gong to his collection tomorrow night in recognition of his superhuman feats.
Former England captain Paul Collingwood says Stokes has matched Freddie Flintoff’s magical Ashes performances of 2005 on the field.
And he thinks he can now match him off the field by being named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in Aberdeen.
Collingwood has had a dressing room view of both all-rounders, first as a team-mate of Flintoff’s and then as an assistant coach as Stokes captured the imagination in both one-day and Test cricket.
The Durham man delivered a series of eye-catching performances in the World Cup.
But it was his heroic man-ofthe-match effort in the final against New Zealand that would be enough on its own to make him a strong contender for the public vote.
He followed that with an even more audacious virtuoso display at Headingley to keep the Ashes alive with 135 not out and a 10th-wicket partnership with Jack Leach.
And just for good measure he was man of the match in the previous Test with a century at Lord’s.
“It was superhuman,” said Collingwood. “When you’re looking at heroes in sport, he was a hero this year and the World Cup win had a lot to do with him.
“Everyone was watching. You speak to anyone, from someone who’s never watched a game of cricket before to a casual fan, and they were actually glued to the TV watching that final.
“And that game in the Ashes six weeks later was something I’ve never seen before, with the skill level and the belief and the mental powers to actually say, ‘No, I’m standing up to you guys and I’m taking you on.’
“I don’t think there’s anyone who would deserve to win Sports Personality more than Ben with what he’s done for cricket and for sport this year.” SCOTTISH rugby legend Doddie Weir OBE will receive the Helen Rollason award tomorrow. The former British and Irish Lion was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2016 and told he would be in a wheelchair within a year.
Since then he’s raised more than £4m for research into MND. The Foundation has also given almost £1m to families living with the disease.