England superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes took the internet by storm as he played one of the greatest ODI knocks in England’s history. He smashed a scintillating hundred during the third ODI vs. New Zealand on Wednesday, September 13 at Kennington Oval, London.
Ben achieved a remarkable feat, smashing the highest-ever score by an England player in the ODI format. He played a sensational knock of 182 runs off just 124 balls, helping his team reach a whopping total of 368 all out. His knock was laced with 15 fours and 9 sixes.
It has to be noted that Ben Stokes came out of his retirement in the ODI format and was picked for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. And he has made his comeback memorable for more than just one reason. Stokes smashed a fine fifty in the first ODI match of the ongoing four-match series against New Zealand, which was followed up by this incredible knock in the 3rd ODI.
This incredible innings by Ben Stokes proved why England was so eager to bring back Stokes out of his ODI retirement, especially with the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 in India next month.
However, he missed out on becoming the first England player to smash a double century in ODI format. It was Ben Stokes’ first ODI century in over 6 years. His last century in this format came in the 2017 Champions Trophy
Stokes surpassed Jason Roy’s previous England record of 180 runs, which came in 2018. It was also Stokes’ 4th ODI century as the all-rounder proved his worth just in time, ahead of the World Cup 2023.
Ben Stokes Remembered His Father After Smashing A Ton Against NZ
Meanwhile, a video of Ben Stokes’ celebration after completing the century has been going viral all over social media as the England all-rounder remembered his father Gerard Stokes by bending his middle finger and looking up towards the sky.
Earlier, Stokes had explained that the gesture is a tribute to his father who lost his middle finger after suffering multiple injuries during his rugby career in the 1980s. Gerard passed away in December 2020 after his long battle with Brain Cancer.
Watch the video:
https://x.com/CricSuperFan/status/1701961089569697908
