The Ashes 2019 Miracle: Ben Stokes' Clutch Innings in Focus

(Ben Stokes celebrates after hitting the winning runs against Australia during his 135* innings)

Epic run chases, fiery bouncers, big total, and heated moments, are some of the few words that completely describe the Ashes. A test series between Australia and England is always one of the biggest moments in the history of cricket and the 2019 Ashes was a complete package for the viewers who were looking for some great action on the cricket field. It provided viewers with unforgettable moments and reaffirmed the timeless allure of test cricket. The series served as a reminder of the rich history and tradition that make the Ashes an iconic contest in the world of cricket. But how this series turned from a random test series to one of the most historic ones will be discussed in the blog now.

First two test matches of the Ashes 2019

Just after winning the ICC ODI World Cup in 2019, England was scheduled to play Australia in a 5 match test series and it was already going to be a big one for players like Steve Smith and David Warner who were coming back into the test format after serving a year ban because of the 2018 Ball Tampering scandal. Coming to the first test of the series, Australia was in a scary position of 122-8 in the first innings when Steve Smith stepped up and scored a century to take his team to a commanding position. Now, with a century in the second innings too, he helped the Australian team to go 1-0 up in the series.

(Steve Smith scored a century on his return to the test cricket after the ban)

Coming to the 2nd match of the series, it was again Steve Smith who stepped up at the crucial time for the Australian team to erase the lead taken by England in the first innings. However, Jofra Archer’s bouncer to him proved to be the winner as Steve Smith was concussed and Marnus Labuschagne replaced him in the playing XI. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes scored a century in the second innings to set a target of 266 for the Australian team. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne's innings helped the Australian team to draw the match and hence they had the 1-0 lead while going to the third match of the series.

Historic Headingley Test

One man who was standing in between England and reclaiming the Ashes was Steve Smith as in the first two test matches, he had 2 centuries and a 92 to his name. But after being hit by a bouncer in the 2nd test match by Jofra Archer, Steve Smith was out of the playing XI for the 3rd test and it was an amazing chance for the England team to make a comeback in the series. At the ground of Leeds, England decided to bowl first as it was a tricky wicket and with the weather being overcast, they got the perfect conditions to bowl.

Australia failed to start on a positive note and were 25-2 in just 9 overs. But a partnership from Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner ensured that the team reached 136-2 in the 31 overs. With no Steve Smith in the side, England knew they were just one wicket away from a batting collapse and as soon as David Warner departed, Australia was bowled out for just 179 runs and it was a below par score on that pitch for them. Only a miracle from the bowlers was needed to save this test for them now.

(Australian team celebrating after picking the wicket of Ben Stokes in the first innings)

Coming to bat, England started even way poor than the Australian team and was 10-2 in just 5 overs. With two early blows, England wasn’t able to stabilise their innings well and hence wickets started coming off at regular intervals. Some of the shots that England's batters played were questionable and hence they got bowled out for just 67 runs to give Australia a lead of 112 runs in the first innings. Josh Hazlewood proved to be the main bowler who picked up 5 wickets for the team.

The second inning of the Australian team was wrapped up quickly as the team posted a total of 246 runs from the 75.2 overs played by them. Marnus Labuschagne again proved to be the difference as he got 80 runs in that innings and after adding the lead of 112 runs to their total, England was set a target of 359 runs to level the series.

The fourth and final innings of the match by the England team started again with troubles as they lost Rory Burns and Jason Roy early on to leave the score at 15-2 in the 6.3 overs bowled. However, a staggering partnership of 126 runs between Joe Denly and Joe Root allowed the hosts to come back in the game and they were 141-3 now. But the incidents of regular wickets kept coming up in front of the team as they were now 286-9 and still needed 73 runs to get the victory. For the last wicket, Jack Leach joined Ben Stokes in the middle.

England vs Australia, 3rd Test at Leeds, Aug 22, 2019, ICC World Test Championship
Australia	England
179 (52.1 overs)	67 (27.5 overs)
Marnus Labuschagne 74 (129)	Joe Denly 12 (49)
Jofra Archer 6/45 (17.1 overs)	Josh Hazlewood 5/30 (12.5 overs)
246 (75.2 overs)	362/9 (125.4 overs)
Marnus Labuschagne 80 (187)	Ben Stokes 135* (219)
Ben Stokes 3/56 (24.2 overs)	Josh Hazlewood 4/85 (31 overs)
England won by 1 wicket

With just 1 wicket needed, the Australian dressing room looked cheerful as they were too close to retaining the Ashes. However, Ben Stokes had different plans and he started attacking the bowlers. Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins looked clueless once Ben Stokes started hitting them for runs and they panicked. Even fielders started having misfields and they dropped catches at the crucial moments.

Even when 9 runs were needed for the victory, Pat Cummins appealed for an LBW call against Jack Leach. Seeing it was outside the leg stump, the umpire called it as Not-Out but Tim Paine referred it upstairs to just have a look and they burned their last review of the game. Coming to the next over, Stokes got six runs against Nathan Lyon and now England needed just 2 runs to win. Now, on the next ball, Stokes plays a reverse sweep and it went straight to the hand of the fielder. Leach was halfway through the pitch when the fielder threw the ball to Nathan Lyon, but he fumbled and Leach got back to the crease. It was a major miss by Nathan Lyon and it was Justin Langer in the dressing room, who kicked the dustbin in frustration.

(Nathan Lyon fumbled the ball while getting Jack Leach run out)

With all this done, Nathan Lyon now bowled the last delivery of his over to which Ben Stokes sweeped and missed the straight ball and it looked plumb. However, the umpire Joel Wilson refused to give it out and Australia was short of a review after Tim Paine used their last review in just the previous over. On replays, it was shown that Stokes was clearly out if the umpire had raised his finger.

The next over now was given to Pat Cummins who was given the tough task of saving the 2 runs. On the third ball of his over, Jack Leach took a single and finally opened his account and this single was termed as one of the biggest single in the history of the game. With the scores levelled, Australia knew that they bottled the chance of claiming a win here. And on the next ball, Stokes managed to get a four through the covers to give England a win by 1 wicket. He threw his arms wide and roared like a tiger and the commentators said

"Cut away. Cut away for four. What an inning. What a player. Take a bow, Ben Stokes. The Ashes are well and truly alive because of one cricketer."

https://x.com/TheBarmyArmy/status/1651958585167953920?s=20

Ben Stokes scripted an unforgettable chapter in cricket history with a sensational performance. This outstanding effort led England to a thrilling victory over Australia, achieving a record-breaking run chase of 362. Stokes' heroic display showcased exceptional skill, determination, and nerve under pressure, elevating him to legendary status in cricketing folklore.