NEW DELHI: England's star all-rounder, Ben Stokes, playfully apologized to teammate Jason Roy for surpassing his highest individual score in an ODI.
Stokes's sensational innings of 182 led England to a monumental total of 368 against New Zealand in the third ODI of their four-match series at The Oval, securing a historic victory.
In a record-breaking performance, Ben Stokes propelled England to a resounding 181-run victory over New Zealand in the third ODI. His magnificent innings not only guided England to an imposing total of 368 but also surpassed Jason Roy's previous record of 180 against Australia in Melbourne in 2018.
Reflecting on his remarkable achievement, Stokes good-naturedly quipped, "Really pleased. Apologise to Jason. We spoke about putting New Zealand under pressure and getting to a good start and even after losing those early wickets, we wanted to be positive. Once we got going, we did not want them (bowlers) to settle."
Stokes's memorable partnership with Dawid Malan, who contributed 96 runs from 95 balls, played a pivotal role in England's formidable total. The duo shared a remarkable 199-run partnership for the third wicket. Additionally, Stokes had a significant 78-run partnership with skipper Jos Buttler (38 runs from 24 balls), propelling England to 368 in 48.1 overs, despite a late collapse in the lower order.
The Kiwi bowlers faced a formidable challenge, with Trent Boult (5/51) and Ben Lister (3/69) being the standout performers for New Zealand.
In response, New Zealand's pursuit of 339 runs was thwarted by England's pace trio of Chris Woakes, Reece Topley, and Sam Curran. New Zealand found themselves in deep trouble at 70/5 before Glenn Phillips (72 runs from 76 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (28 runs from 22 balls) attempted to mount a comeback. Nevertheless, New Zealand were ultimately dismissed for 187 in just 39 overs.
Chris Woakes (3/31) and Liam Livingstone (3/16) delivered outstanding performances with the ball for New Zealand. Topley secured two wickets, while Curran and Moeen Ali each claimed one.
Stokes's remarkable contribution earned him the 'Player of the Match' award. With this victory, England now leads the series 2-1, with one match remaining.
(With ANI inputs)
