Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Ben Stokes: 'I'll give everything to the team, whatever's asked of me'

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Monday, 20 July 2020 14:12

Ben Stokes has moved to ease injury concerns after he pulled up in discomfort while bowling late in England's second-Test victory, in which he played a starring role.

Stokes stopped bowling after four deliveries of his 15th over in West Indies' second innings, having claimed the wickets of key batsman Jermaine Blackwood and tailender Alzarri Joseph, the latter putting England within one wicket of victory.

"I'm fine," Stokes told Sky Sports after England had won the match by 113 runs to level the series 1-1. "Just the body started to get quite stiff. I said to Broady, 'the body's starting to stiffen up, what do you reckon?' and he said, 'just stop'.

ALSO READ: England surge to victory as Stokes turns on style again

"Three or four years ago against Pakistan I had the same thing and I ended up blowing my calf so I didn't want to take that risk."

Despite bowling an 11-over spell in West Indies' second innings, on the final day of a Test in which he had also scored a patient century and bludgeoned a fifty, Stokes rejected suggestions too much had been asked of him with the ball.

"Absolutely not," Stokes said. "Obviously, I'll give everything to the team, whatever is asked of me. We sort of found a method within our attack to change things up when things are looking a bit dry to go to that type of bowling or being aggressive in setting the field.

"Not only does it give us a wicket-taking option. It also dries it up because we feel the batsmen don't have really anywhere to go. So, you know, once you get past that five-, six-over mark you sort of feel like you're fresh as anything you keep going in. But I'll always do whatever's asked of me."

Having scored 176 from 356 balls in England's first innings, then 78 from 57 in the second, Stokes also broke up key partnerships with the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite in the fist innings and then Blackwood's in the second.

Asked about his contrasting performances with the bat, he couldn't pick a favourite, but he took pride in batting long for his century while clearly enjoying captain Joe Root's intent in sending him to open for the first time in a Test alongside fellow big-hitter Jos Buttler as England chased quick second-innings runs, a decision he said came after "a few conversations".

"Obviously Joe has the final call and that's what he decided to go with, so it was a real positive move, I thought," Stokes said. "It's no good for us walk away with this game with a draw and so Joe made a real positive effort to get me get me and Jos up the order.

"Looking at the scoreboard seeing 300 balls bowled feels a bit weird," he added of his first innings, "but it had to be done."

Root, also speaking to Sky Sports, said Stokes' starring role in the match was not the least bit surprising.

"It doesn't surprise me, you watch how he goes about his business, whether it be in practice his fitness, everything," Root said. "He leads the way in many, many respects and he seems to want to keep getting better and better.

"And we're seeing those results out in the field as well, which is great for a lot of the younger guys coming through to see that you've got to put the hard yards in. He certainly does that and, you know, we're starting to see that feed into the rest of the team, which is a great place to be."

Read 271 times

Soccer

Napoli honor Maradona on anniversary of passing

Napoli honor Maradona on anniversary of passing

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNapoli fans and club officials paid tribute to Diego Maradona on th...

Ronaldo double bolsters Al Nassr's ACL place

Ronaldo double bolsters Al Nassr's ACL place

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCristiano Ronaldo netted a pair of goals in Al Nassr's Asian Champi...

Raya warns Arsenal of 'in-form' Gyökeres' threat

Raya warns Arsenal of 'in-form' Gyökeres' threat

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDavid Raya has warned his Arsenal teammates that Sporting CP forwar...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Morant back for Grizzlies after missing 8 games

Morant back for Grizzlies after missing 8 games

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ja Morant was in the lineup Monday night for the...

Rockets' VanVleet hit with $50K fine for tirade

Rockets' VanVleet hit with $50K fine for tirade

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRockets guard Fred VanVleet was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Monday...

Baseball

Ex-big leaguer Chirinos joins O's as bench coach

Ex-big leaguer Chirinos joins O's as bench coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBALTIMORE -- Robinson Chirinos replaced Fredi González on Monday as...

MLB alters Rays' schedule; 69 of last 103 on road

MLB alters Rays' schedule; 69 of last 103 on road

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Major League Baseball switched a pair of series involvi...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated