In only his 10th Test, 23-year-old Stokes hit the fastest century in a Lord’s Test, a swashbuckling 101 from 92 balls with 15 fours and three sixes. PHOTO: AFP
His 85-ball hundred, the fastest Test century ever scored at Lord’s in terms of balls faced, played a key role in turning the tide of the series opener, which England won by 124 runs to go 1-0 up in the two-match contest on Monday.
The 23-year-old had already helped rescue England from the depths of 30-4 in their first-innings by making 92 while adding 161 with Joe Root (98).
And, just for good measure, the Durham man, who came to England with his family as a 12-year-old, took 3-38 on Monday’s final day, including the wickets of danger man Kane Williamson and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum in successive balls.
But Root, also one of several young players who shone for England at Lord’s, is confident the all-rounder will not get carried away with the hype that followed his second Test century, which came some 18 months after his first, in Perth.
“He will be fine,” said Root of Stokes. “When he is batting, he is a free spirit; he goes and plays his shots and puts sides under pressure. The key for him and the rest of us now is to make sure it is not a one-off and go on and do it again this week.”
For New Zealand, defeat was tough to take as so many of their players had set their hearts on becoming just the second Black Caps side, after the 1999 team, to win a Test at Lord’s.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill said the side knew how to bounce back from defeat. “We showed against Australia, in 2011, winning in Hobart — bouncing back from a heavy defeat in Brisbane. I hope we can do that again this week... we’re all raring to go for Friday.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.
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