London: A remarkable display of batting prowess by Ben Stokes, coupled with an impressive performance by England’s bowlers, propelled the home team to a commanding 181-run victory over New Zealand in the third ODI of their four-match series at The Oval on Wednesday. With this win, England now leads the series 2-1 with one match remaining.
In a thrilling encounter, England faced a shaky start after being put to bat by New Zealand. Trent Boult struck early, dismissing Jonny Bairstow for a golden duck and Joe Root for just four runs. However, England’s innings took a dramatic turn when Ben Stokes stepped up to the crease.
Stokes, known for his explosive batting, showcased his prowess once again. He found a reliable partner in the consistent Dawid Malan, who helped steady the ship during the powerplay. At the end of 10 overs, England stood at 55/2.
The duo’s partnership blossomed as they confidently reached the 100-run mark in 16.2 overs. Malan notched up his fifth ODI fifty in 52 balls, while Stokes reached his half-century in 44 balls. Their century stand came in just 91 balls, highlighting their remarkable acceleration.
Stokes, in particular, displayed his aggressive intent, hitting sixes at will, and the pair reached a 150-run partnership in just 119 balls. England cruised past the 200-run mark in 27 overs.
Stokes continued to pile on the runs and eventually notched up his fourth ODI century in just 76 balls. However, Malan narrowly missed his fifth ODI ton, falling for 96 in 95 balls after being caught by wicketkeeper Tom Latham. England stood at 212/3 in 30.1 overs.
Captain Jos Buttler joined Stokes, and their partnership further pressured the Kiwi bowlers. Stokes reached a magnificent 150 in just 105 balls. Glenn Phillips eventually broke their partnership, dismissing Buttler for 38 off 24 balls. England was at 290/4 in 37.5 overs.
England reached the 300-run mark in 39.4 overs, and Stokes continued to dazzle. He was finally dismissed for a record-breaking 182 off 124 balls, featuring 15 fours and nine sixes. This astonishing innings surpassed Jason Roy’s previous record of 180, making it the highest ODI score by an England player. Will Young’s catch at square leg ended Stokes’ superb innings, and England stood at 348/6 in 44.3 overs.
Despite late wickets, England managed to post a formidable total of 368 runs in 48.1 overs. Trent Boult was the standout bowler for New Zealand, finishing with figures of 5/51, while Ben Lister claimed 3/69.
Chasing a daunting target of 369, New Zealand faced early setbacks as England’s pace trio of Woakes, Reece Topley, and Sam Curran wreaked havoc. The Kiwi top-order crumbled to 36/3 in the powerplay and slumped to 70/5 in 17 overs, with none of the top five batsmen crossing the 20-run mark.
Glenn Phillips provided some resistance with a well-constructed 72 runs off 76 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He formed a useful 46-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra. However, Moeen Ali dismissed Rachin for 28 days, breaking the partnership.
Another partnership of 57 runs between Phillips and Kyle Jamieson (14) followed, but it was not enough to bridge the gap. New Zealand was ultimately bowled out for 187 runs in 39 overs. Woakes and Livingstone were the standout bowlers for England, sharing six wickets between them.
Ben Stokes was rightfully awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for his extraordinary performance with the bat.
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