Ben Stokes cut an almost bashful figure when asked about his sensational catch during the opening match of the Cricket World Cup which helped steer England to a 104-run win over South Africa.
Stokes launched himself into the air as he ran back towards the boundary to take a spectacular one-handed catch, which brought the wicket of Andile Phehlukwayo off the bowling of Adil Rashid. The packed Oval crowed rose to applaud the feat, but Stokes was a reluctant hero.
“I was actually in the wrong position,” said Stokes, who earned player of the match after top-scoring with 89 and capturing two wickets. “It would have been a regular catch if I was in the right place, but it’s one of those that either sticks or doesn’t.
“The crowd’s reaction behind me was pretty awesome. I just tried to take that in as much as I could. I bowled the next over and Morgs [England captain Eoin Morgan] had to come to me and ask if everything was alright, if my heart rate had gone down. Things like that catch do get you fizzed up.”
Morgan said it was “unbelievable”, while the South Africa captain Faf du Plessis described all-rounder Stokes as “a three-in-one cricketer”.
