Ben Stokes staged one of the great redemption acts of British sporting history last night as he blasted England to a glorious first Cricket World Cup less than a year after he was cleared of his part in a nightclub brawl.

The New Zealand-born 28-year-old, with a father who joked he was cheering on the opposition, staged a one-men batting salvo to ensure England secured a fightback to match the most dramatic ever produced in team sport.

His heroic performance in forcing the side to an unprecedented tie before snatching the title from New Zealand in a six-ball shoot-out came almost a year to the day since his Bristol Crown Court affray case threatened to drag the reputation of his sport to an all-time low.

Stokes was subsequently cleared and, following his exploits yesterday, he was listed by bookmakers at 2-1 to become BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He could also be named along with his teammates in the New Year's Honours. 
It was a first trophy for England after 44 years and 12 editions of the tournament.  "It's moments like that you live for as a professional cricketer," Stokes said of the team's triumph.

It was also a day of heroism for England's Jofra Archer, 24, the Barbados-born fast bowler who tasked with bowling the deciding over. Acher's path to national bowling stardom was secured thanks to an administrative curve-ball and a father who lived 4,000 miles away.

Stokes was quick to praise Archer instead of his own exploits. "It's moments like that you live for as a professional cricketer and the new kid on the block Jofra Archer, I backed him all the way. The talent he's got is incredible and he's showed it on the world stage," he said. 

When asked about Stokes’ performance, Captain Eoin Morgan described the all-rounder as “super-human”.

Source: The Telegraph

BDST: 1030 HRS, JUL 15, 2019
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