The timing of Ben Stokes’s rescue act at Trent Bridge on Friday could barely have been better.
With the World Cup just 13 days away, he issued a reminder that he is a matchwinner, plain and simple. Another piece of the World Cup jigsaw fell into place.
Partly through some slightly mellow contributions, partly due to a slightly sore elbow and partly due to the exploits of the like of Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Jos Buttler, Stokes was threatening to arrive at the World Cup as one of England’s support acts – an idea unthinkable over the last four years, when he has been an integral part of their reinvention.
Since returning from his Bristol ban last February, Stokes’s strike-rate had been just 80 – very modest in this England team – and he had taken just 10 wickets, and only once bowled his full allocation of overs. Others were making the headlines.
But that’s not Stokes, and he rescued England from an epic stumble – a collapse of four for 15 in 17 balls, featuring some terrible shots – at Nottingham.
His 71 not out featured some of his trademark beautiful belligerence, which will delight England and not just because it secured the series with a game to spare.
It is unclear whether England will field their strongest side in the final match at Leeds on Sunday, although Trent Bridge centurion Roy is unlikely to play following an emotional weekend which has seen his baby daughter fall unwell.
“It’s always nice to get some time out in the middle,” said Stokes. “Trent Bridge is probably the place you want to do that, it’s known as the best batting track in England. It’s good to take some positives forward with the World Cup just around the corner.
“Chopping and changing between different formats can be a bit tough. The role I play in this one-day team is not too dissimilar to how I go about Test cricket.
"The most confidence I’ll take from that was being there at the end. It’s one thing I wanted to do and not throw it away when we got to that winning position.
“I think it’s good we came through a tight game. As everyone knows, we generally seem to have a stinker somewhere in a series. It could have been that game for us but the confidence we’ll take from losing four quick wickets but still finishing off the game will stand us in great stead.”
It has become habitual for England’s all-format players to say how lucky they are to have a home World Cup and Ashes ahead of them this summer, while in their prime.
But when Stokes says it, you sense he might mean it a little more, given he missed the last Ashes with a ban and the last World Cup when form deserted him and he was dropped.
“We were talking about this,” he says. “We are lucky as players to be involved in a home World Cup and home Ashes in the same summer, it’s very exciting to think about.
"I just want it to start, because I’ve had to answer so many questions about it. It’s an amazing time to be an England cricketer this summer.”
