Ben Stokes: Headingley win is ‘simply the beginning’ for England
Ben Stokes hailed the efficiency of his England facet in “another down-to-the-wire” Ashes Test at Headingley, however insisted that their dramatic three-wicket victory is “just the start” of their bid to come back again from two-nil down and win the collection.
Unlike 4 years in the past, Stokes was not the protagonist of an England run chase at Headingley, scoring solely 13 earlier than being strangled down the leg facet by Mitchell Starc. But contributions from Harry Brook – who top-scored with 75 – in addition to Zak Crawley, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have been sufficient for them to seek out a goal of 254 inside 50 overs.
“It’s obviously really big in the context of the series,” Stokes stated. “We knew we needed to win this one to keep alive our hopes of winning the Ashes, so it’s a good win. If you look at the first two games in terms of how tight they were, getting over the line in another tight game can mentally help, knowing that it’s another close game but we’ve got over the line in this one.
“The first two did not go our means. If you form of flip it spherical and we did not win this one and it is tight once more, you’ll suppose, ‘It’s simply not meant to be’. We’re clearly over the moon that we received this one but it surely’s simply the beginning of what we all know we have to do.”
England made three changes to their side ahead of the Headingley Test, in part due to Stokes’ own fitness issues. All three of the men who came into the side – Woakes, Wood and Moeen Ali – played important roles, taking 15 wickets between them and producing cameos with the bat.
“Woakesy, being out of the workforce for such a protracted time frame, and to come back again in and carry out the best way that he did each with ball and with bat… seeing Woody working in like he does, huge smile on his face and having fun with each second on the market was nice,” Stokes stated.
“[And] I stated earlier than the collection began that we determined to go along with Mo again into the squad due to the impression he can have on video games. I’ve performed lots of video games with him and I do know the impression he can have on his finest days.
“You look at that little spell yesterday with 15 minutes when he took the wickets of Marnus [Labuschagne] and Steve [Smith] and that was a huge point in the game. That’s Mo as a cricketer. You bring him into the team and you want him to be impactful with the ball and the bat and he certainly was with the ball this game.”
Stokes additionally praised Brook’s innings on the ultimate day. “The way Brooky controlled the game from ball one with the bat was amazing,” he stated. “He went out there and put the pressure straight back on to them.
“The means he performed with Woakesy in that partnership was high-class; for such a younger lad in a high-pressure scenario within the Ashes, it was unimaginable. We’ve all seen what he can do with the bat. He’s an extremely gifted participant, and I feel he is solely going to get higher and higher, the extra strain conditions he is put in.”
Stokes was pleased with England’s approach across the four days at Headingley, but insisted: “I nonetheless suppose we could be higher.” He added: “The factor about cricket is no-one has the proper reply to every little thing. Everything might be assessed on the result. That will at all times be the case. No-one ever has the proper reply for the way it must be performed.
“We can be better in certain areas, and that’s all we can do, keep trying to be better and better and as clear as we possibly can as a team. People always seem to have an answer after the fact. I don’t think anyone will ever crack it; that’s why it’s such a great game.”
There is a nine-day break within the collection, which resumes at Old Trafford on July 19 – one which Stokes stated “will do quite a few bodies the world of good” after three exhilarating, exhausting Tests to start out the collection. It stays to be seen whether or not Ollie Robinson, who suffered a again spasm on the primary day, might be match to play in Manchester.
“We’ve kept the series alive and we just have to park everything from this week, but continue the way we play,” Stokes added. “I said last week we find ourselves in the perfect position with the way we play cricket.
“It would not change. After the Lord’s recreation and earlier than this recreation, earlier than the sport in Manchester, we simply should do precisely the identical factor: play cricket that will get a end result, our means.”
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98