"For three hours Ben Stokes was hinting at a repeat of the innings that inked his name into Ashes folklore. Headingley 2019 is remembered for its explosion of runs at the end but less spoken about since has been the foundation of stone-cold obduracy on which it was built. England's situation going into the fourth day of this second Ashes Test at the Gabba was similarly dire, 43 runs away from making Australia bat again, six wickets down."
"But at 5.50pm, floodlights on and with England having ground to a slender 50-run lead, Stokes was halted in his tracks. Bustling in to a field usually seen in the county championship, Michael Neser found his edge and Alex Carey, stood up to the stumps, held on. It capped a sublime display of glovework from Carey and settled any lingering Australian concerns. Stokes flipped his bat skywards before trudging down the tunnel to the dressing room with his head in his hands."
"Across 152 balls of defiance he had chiselled out 50 runs, worn a nasty blow to the box, and at least offered a pushback of sorts. Come 7.30pm he was shaking hands with Steve Smith, a paltry target of 65 wiped out by Australia in just 10 overs to seal an eight-wicket win and an ominous 2-0 lead with three to play."
England entered the fourth day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba needing 43 runs to make Australia bat and were six wickets down. Ben Stokes produced a determined innings, scoring 50 from 152 balls despite taking a heavy blow, and Will Jacks contributed 41 at number eight. Michael Neser bowled with county-style intent, inducing Stokes' edge, and Alex Carey, standing up to the stumps, completed the catch. Australia chased the trivial target of 65 in 10 overs to secure an eight-wicket victory and a 2-0 series lead. The pitch offered sporadic bounce while Australian bowling lines remained near impeccable, exposing earlier England errors.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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