But if the person whose title now crops up in English cricket’s historical past books virtually as usually because the phrases ‘bat’ and ‘ball’ ought to insist on penning one other entry within the meantime, then who’re we to argue?
Here on the Oval, Stokes produced a shocking innings of 182 from simply 124 balls, not solely his highest ODI rating however the highest ever by an Englishman as Jos Buttler’s aspect hammered New Zealand by 181 runs to take a 2-1 sequence lead.
Set a punchy goal of 369, three early wickets from Chris Woakes in an superior new-ball spell ensured the vacationers have been by no means significantly within the contest, Glenn Phillips’s 72 solely delaying the inevitable as England, for the primary time in a short ODI summer season, produced the form of efficiency that may have the likes of India and Australia on discover three weeks out from the beginning of the World Cup.
Stokes arrived on the crease with England in Trent Boult-inspired strife for the second match in a row, the seamer having dismissed Jonny Bairstow first ball after which Joe Root in his second over to go away the hosts 13-for-two. Where England had let the rot set in deeper in Southampton on Sunday, finally bailed out by Liam Livingstone and the decrease order, right here they took no backwards step, Stokes and Dawid Malan compiling a masterful partnership of 199 earlier than the opener fell 4 runs in need of what would have been a fifth ODI century.
Even denied that landmark because the third of what grew to become 5 victims for the distinctive Boult, this was a advantageous day for Malan, below strain for his World Cup place coming into this four-match sequence however, with simply Friday’s finale at Lord’s to come back, now certainly safe.
The 36-year-old had made a half-century within the sequence opener in Cardiff final week and after skipping the journey to Southampton to be on the beginning of his second little one, returned instantly right here to reap the benefits of Jason Roy’s ongoing absence, the Surrey man struggling one other again spasm this morning and now operating out of time to show his health earlier than the aircraft to India takes off. To add insult to nagging harm, it was Roy’s report innings of 180 in opposition to Australia in 2018 that was knocked off its perch by Stokes.
By the time of Malan’s dismissal, an excellent New Zealand evaluation detecting a feather down the leg-side, Stokes had already notched his quickest ODI hundred, accelerating from 13 off 19 on the finish of the powerplay to succeed in three figures solely 57 balls later. Curiously, the all-rounder had did not kick on after every of his three earlier ODI tons, by no means going so far as to cross 102, however six years on from the newest of these, and with time no object, he was not in wasteful temper.
Joined by Buttler, whose cameo of 38 off 24 felt like an excellent consequence for New Zealand within the circumstances, the assault went on, touring bowlers queueing up reluctantly to take their drugs as each frontline choice bar Boult travelled in extra of a run-a-ball.
As ever with Stokes, the entire present was charged by a way of jeopardy now inherent in watching England’s most decisive participant hobble about on one leg, operating all however probably the most pressing of twos through a cruise ship turning circle to keep away from pointless pressure on that chronically injured knee. Fortunately, there was loads of floor saved by the 9 maximums amongst his 24 boundaries, ball hanging so brutish that these with the privilege of entrance row seats have been additionally simply concerning the most secure within the floor.
It was with the final of them that Stokes grew to become a record-breaker as soon as extra, transferring to his last rating by belting Ben Lister again over his head earlier than falling on his sword to the identical bowler quickly after, caught within the deep attempting to speed up in the direction of his nation’s first one-day double-hundred.
True, England may need been slightly extra ruthless in burying New Zealand from that time, Stokes’s dismissal sparking a collapse that noticed the ultimate 5 wickets fall for under 20 runs when a rating past 400 appeared nicely inside attain. Still, even with 11 deliveries unused, a complete of 368 was England’s highest ODI rating in opposition to a Test-playing nation because the World Cup 4 years in the past.
For these hoping to dethrone the champions this autumn, that should make ominous studying.
