Record knock for six-hitter Stokes
BEN Stokes returned to action in astonishing fashion for the first time since being named England’s new captain with a record-breaking century for Durham in their LV=Insurance County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.
The all-rounder struck 17 sixes, a century before lunch, and 34 off an over from Josh Baker on his way to 161 from just 88 deliveries
Stokes’ number of maximums was a record for a Championship innings, beating the 16 achieved by Andrew Symonds (1995) and Graham Napier (2011) for Gloucestershire and Essex respectively.
His efforts enabled Durham to declare on 580-6 shortly after lunch and then a fivewicket haul from Matthew Potts reduced Worcestershire to 169-6 by the close despite a century stand between Brett D’Oliveira and Ed Barnard.
It was brutal, clean hitting from Stokes which attacks around the world stronger than Worcestershire’s have been powerless to halt during the past decade.
The 30-year-old said: “It was good fun. I think the game was set up very nicely by our top five.
“I just had to play the situation and once we picked up our last batting point it was about getting as many runs as we could.
“It is a good wicket and the game situation was one where hopefully we only have to bat once and then bowl them out twice.
“We were 350 when I came out to bat and we wanted to get that last batting point.
“Then it was about getting as many as we possibly could and not wasting any overs because it is pretty obvious this wicket is pretty good and it is going to be hard to get 20 wickets.
“Matty Potts put his hand up again with another great performance, getting five wickets, and to have them six down is a brilliant effort.”
Durham resumed on 339-3 and Ben Gibbon picked up his second scalp of the innings when Scott Borthwick, on 89, was lbw to a delivery angled back in.
Stokes initially played himself in while scoring just 12 runs from his opening 30 deliveries. Then came the sort of fireworks which have made Stokes one of cricket’s box-office attractions.
In the middle of this carnage, David Bedingham completed an excellent hundred of his own from just 120 balls, his second in the Championship this summer.
The morning session produced a staggering 210 runs from just 27 overs.
Stokes completed his 150 via the first ball after the interval with a six over long on off Gibbon and the record for the most maximum blows in the Championship was achieved with a straight hit off D’Oliveira.
An unforgettable innings finally ended when he holed out to Jack Haynes on the midwicket boundary off D’Oliveira.
Bedingham’s knock of 135 ended shortly before the declaration when he drilled Baker to long off.
Potts then produced a superb spell with the new ball under increasingly leaden skies to reduce Worcestershire to 41-4.
Jake Libby was caught behind for a firstball duck, the sort of dismissal that can happen to any opening batter.
Pakistan Test player Azhar Ali clipped a leg stump delivery straight to midwicket after also not troubling the scorers.
Jack Haynes was lbw to delivery which nipped back and Potts claimed his fourth wicket when Ed Pollock, on 32, nicked a delivery through to Ned Eckersley.
D’Oliveira and Barnard’s century partnership came from 194 balls before D’Oliveira (41) was caught one-handed by wicketkeeper Eckersley high away to his right.
Barnard (55) then left a delivery from seamer Potts which clipped his off bail and was bowled.