CAPTAIN MARVEL
Stokes puts England in control with ton reminiscent of Botham
GRAHAM GOOCH once asked Ian Botham who wrote his scripts, such was the improbability of his super-human efforts on the field. The same question could have been posed yesterday to the best all-round English cricketer since Lord Beefy.
On the day an honest, emotional and brilliant documentary about the eventful life of Ben Stokes was released on Prime Video, the England captain made the century that should bring the win that will level this series. Of course he did.
It was inevitable Stokes would mark his film debut with another box-office performance, rising to the occasion just when his team needed their captain to ensure they did not waste the advantage given to them when they bowled South Africa out for 151.
That advantage was far from certain when Anrich Nortje, bowling with real pace, aggression and control, proved too hot for Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley to handle on the second morning and left England 147 for five and still four runs in arrears.
Cometh the hour cometh Stokes, along with a willing accomplice in Ben Foakes, a wicketkeeper-batsman benefitting from the backing England are determined to give their players.
Together they thrilled a packed Old Trafford and batted South Africa out of this second Test.
Stokes led the way. Such has been his keenness to set the tone for the way he wants England to play in this brave new world that he has been a bit too selfless, almost reckless, with the bat this summer. Not now. This was batting at its best.
The England captain was always positive but also responsible, picking the right moments to attack, going after the twin South African spin attack of Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer and playing two straight drives of the very highest class off Lungi Ngidi.
In theory it was the off-spin of Harmer, contentiously brought into this South Africa side in place of Marco Jansen, that should have tested the lefthanded Stokes most on an Old Trafford pitch providing sharp turn and bounce.
But Stokes showed he would not let the Essex man dictate to him by slog sweeping the first ball he received from Harmer for six and went to his 50 with another maximum from the spinner, this time straight down the ground.
He repeated the trick off Maharaj, negating South Africa’s apparently pre-meditated policy of going into this Test with two spinners, wrongly batting first as a consequence and weakening their formidable seam attack.
Harmer was told some weeks ago he would play in this Test, seemingly as encouragement to leave Chelmsford mid-season, but he was disappointing, particularly to those who have seen him dominate the County Championship.
There were anxious moments for Stokes though. His injured left knee, the one he keeps telling us not to worry about, locked on him as he turned for a possible second run and for a moment it seemed he may have to retire on 16. Not a chance, not on this of all days.
Stokes gritted his teeth and carried on but was then given out lbw on 72 off Ngidi by umpire Richard Illingworth.
He reviewed immediately and it quickly became clear why as Stokes had inside edged the ball onto his pads.
His 12th Test century came just after tea slightly anti-climactically, Stokes scrambling a single after his drive deflected off Kagiso Rabada’s boot, but it was greeted with huge roars from the crowd and emotionally by the captain himself. Stokes took off his gloves and helmet after embracing Foakes and looked to the heavens before closing his eyes and offering that bent finger celebration in honour of his late father Ged.
Only when he aimed a huge slog at Rabada, hit the ball straight up in the air and was just about caught by a tumbling Dean Elgar, did Stokes falter. But it would be churlish to admonish him for giving it away before the job was quite done.
Stokes thoroughly deserved the ovation he was given, particularly as England ensured they would not waste his heroics by extending their lead surely beyond South Africa’s reach to 264 before they declared with nine wickets down.
None more so than Foakes (left), the junior partner in a stand of 173 with Stokes
but playing beautifully himself in reaching his second Test hundred and first since his debut, as England increased the misery on a now deflated South Africa side.
Foakes was also given out in his unbeaten 113 — also by Illingworth, in his case lbw on 28 to Maharaj’s first ball of the day — but it was proved to be another mistake by DRS, the former left-arm spinner too keen to reward turn from another left-armer.
South Africa were down and almost out once Stuart Broad had smashed 21 off 14 balls and Ollie Robinson had shown glimpses of why he was once classed as an all-rounder. There were even some big shots from Jack Leach.
England’s 415 for nine came off just 106.4 overs, but this was not quite an example of the Bazball label that they dislike so much. Instead, it was very good, very positive cricket and perhaps a slightly tempered template of the way they will play against the better sides. At the centre of it all was a captain who, whisper it quietly, could even be said to be better than Botham and England’s other big all-rounder in Andrew Flintoff, at least if his knee holds up to let him have a proper bowling future. That’s how good Stokes is and why England should win today or tomorrow, even though South Africa emerged unscathed from nine overs before the close.