Ashes

[glosterred]

Wow just WOW

stand up Sir Ben

[Glyn_Wigley]

I haven't felt like this after a test match since 1981!

[BillyStubbsTears]

That was sport at its most gripping.

[gillinghamrover]

Best innings from an English test batsmen ever, imo. Stokes, what a genius with a bat!


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[BillyStubbsTears]

Not sure it beats Botham in 81 to be honest.

[gillinghamrover]

Not sure it beats Botham in 81 to be honest.

That is a fair point,  I’ll rephrase to best this century!


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[Glyn_Wigley]

Not sure it beats Botham in 81 to be honest.

I don't think Botham's was under as much pressure or had as much riding on it. It still needed the real matchwinner - Bob Willis - to perform his heroics.

[tommy toes]

I was supposed to pick my son up at the Keepmoat after a footy tournament.
Left him waiting for an hour. Couldn't tek me eyes off it.
Absolutely amazing stuff.
Thank God that useless Trevor Kettle like umpire dint give him out near the end.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Botham had just failed as Captain and was being ridiculed in the country. In those circumstances, his innings was utterly magnificent.

Not to take anything away from Stokes mind.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Aye, but Botham didn't win the match, he just stopped England from losing it as quickly by getting the total the Aussies needed to win to 130.

Willis won the match.

[NickDRFC]

I wasn’t born in 1981 so can’t really compare, but surely this innings must run Botham’s close?

It was a masterclass. Defensive at first but well paced and ultimately spectacular when needed. The pressure was enormous - when Leach arrived at the crease 75 were still needed. Leach did a terrific job but it was all on Stokes’ shoulders. Not only was the innings needed to save the match, it was needed to save the Ashes. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say I’ve never seen a better innings.

All that in itself is remarkable, but this came off the back of a tremendous effort with the ball. Stokes isn’t generally a bowler who bowls long spells, but when the game was drifting away from England on Friday night he demanded the ball and bowled something like 9 overs in a row, and followed it up with another 9 unchanged on Saturday morning. I was there (picked the wrong day!) and he was charging in like a man possessed, consistently at around 85 miles an hour. A phenomenal all round effort physically, mentally and technically.

[BillyStubbsTears]

On reflection, given the context of Stokes's innings, where every shot could have meant the loss of the Ashes, I think this probably does just top Botham's.

Botham's was a more destructive, sustained aggressive attack, but Stokes' was probably a better-judged innings.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Flipping again.

Stokes was building on a relatively strong foundation in the rest of the innings. He only took full control when the tail collapsed.

Botham came into bat for a side that was about to be defeated by an innings and he turned the game on its head.

A privilege to have seen both any road.

[Campsall rover]

That was up there with the best i have ever seen and i was at Headingley in 81.
Said to someone at the Rovers match yesterday i will give you 1000-1 on England winning.
Pleased he didn’t take me up on it !!!
Just shows nothing is impossible in sport and records are there to be broken.
Take a bow Ben Stokes that was magnificent under that pressure with so much at stake on the result.

[JonWallsend]

Flipping again.

Stokes was building on a relatively strong foundation in the rest of the innings. He only took full control when the tail collapsed.

Botham came into bat for a side that was about to be defeated by an innings and he turned the game on its head.

A privilege to have seen both any road.

We had a similar debate in the club earlier on the merits of both innings. I'm just Stokes although I remember the 81 innings of Botham well. I think the latter was more of a nothing to lose, I'm just going to swing from the hip. Stokes played with real control to get a last wicket partnership of 73 where Leach finished 1 not out, shows how well he marshalled the strike.

I've just  seen the innings again and I' d forgotten about the missed run opportunity with Leach out and the catch that didn't quite carry into the deep. Brilliant that the Aussies wasted a review that was clearly pitching outside leg, which had they not they would have won the game.

It was, as BST said, sport at its best.

[scawsby steve]

We all thought the World Cup final couldn't be bettered in terms of drama, and then we got that today.

I always thought Botham was the best England all rounder I'd ever seen, but this kid takes the biscuit. Absolutely incredible.

I went to both the Headingly and Old Trafford tests in 81; how I wish I'd been there today.

[Padge_DRFC]

77 to win with 1 wicket left. To let Leach only face 19 balls was amazing. Best match winning innings I've ever seen

[Campsall rover]

77 to win with 1 wicket left. To let Leach only face 19 balls was amazing. Best match winning innings I've ever seen

73 but what’s 4 runs between friends. 

[dknward2]

Think leachs contribution can’t be ignored either as a pair they were fantastic thought we had thrown it away long before they took a stand

[Donnywolf]

Amen to all of the above - and anyone also feel two faced after presumablty slagging England off for that 67 (in the same Match). Yep me too

However that was simply a magnificent Innings from Stokes - every single ball could have seen him gone but he had the control and in certain cases luck - he farmed the bowling well and "took it to them"

The pundits said it was the greatest innings in Test Cricket and I will go with them. BST was agonising whether this beat Botham in 81 and I think it did because of the context (that 67 for one)

Like Tommy toes I was rivetted watching - and I like to thank the Umpire AND the Aussies themselves for the desperation in using their last appeal

Oh JOY to the power of a billion - and a bit more as well ! 

[RedJ]

Specsavers have offered Leach free glasses for life.


What a man Ben Stokes is. Amazing stuff. Boring sport though, eh?

[Donnywolf]

Just watched the highlights again and it was full of incidents - and the Aussies had chances that they normally take routinely - which we always expect them to do routinely

Bob Willis says on The Debate that this is better than 81 and Willis says Beefy was eclipsed by Stokes so thats good enough for me

I also have never cheered a single as much before - when Leach turned it round the corner for his 1 I exploded because it meant we COULDNT lose

What make this so great is that at any time - the 2 dropped catches - the early LBW - the LBW when they had no reviews left - and the missed Run out by Lyon - the 6s that just made it over the fielders - ALL ALL of them could have left us saying :

oh god how close did we come - gallant failure - brilliant effort - shouldnt have got just 67 etc etc BUT none of the above happened and WE GOT OVER THE LINE - in the best sporting "thing" I have experienced EVER.

FULL STOP !

[glosterred]

Saw this and they made me smile

[glosterred]

And this

[Metalmicky]

I bought a ticket for my old man (and me) in the Emerald stand yesterday.  I actually bought it last year as his Christmas gift...  I watched the progress at the Keepmoat on Saturday and was preparing to cancel the day if things went badly wrong or we were 6 or 7 down at the end of the 3rd day.  I'm so glad we didn't and it is something that I (and my eighty year old Dad) shall never forget....

In fact, I am thinking of getting my Dad tickets for the Old Trafford game as he seems to something of a lucky charm.  The last match I took him to was in June 2018 when England played the Aussies in a one dayer at Trent Bridge.  During that game England scored a world record 481-6 and recorded a 242-run victory.....

My only issue with yesterday was that some pricks in the upper tier decided to soak a bunch of Aussies (in the lower tier) in beer when the winning runs were scored...... sometimes people let themselves (and their county) down... 

[niteowler]

Its moments like yesterday and our day in the sun at Brentford why we all watch sport.

[Donnywolf]

Saw this and they made me smile

Should have gone to Specsavers - but glad he didnt !

[Donnywolf]

My only issue with yesterday was that some pricks in the upper tier decided to soak a bunch of Aussies (in the lower tier) in beer when the winning runs were scored...... sometimes people let themselves (and their county) down... 

As usual a mindless minority spoil it for the others. What ever happened to magnanimous in victory

Freddie Flintoff with Brett Lee ? Yesterday the Aussies to a man went to Stokes and Leach and despite their "humiliation" as it will be seen by their Fans and congratulated them

Most Aussies will be pig sick - and that is good enough for me - and it doesnt didnt need the beer slinging over their Fans. Good humoured banter would have been better "Like 67 and you f*****d it up"

[glosterred]

Looking at the pictures of the Western Terrace area as Stokes hit the winning run, there are a lot of English fans getting a drenching in beer as well

[Metalmicky]

My only issue with yesterday was that some pricks in the upper tier decided to soak a bunch of Aussies (in the lower tier) in beer when the winning runs were scored...... sometimes people let themselves (and their county) down... 

As usual a mindless minority spoil it for the others. What ever happened to magnanimous in victory

Freddie Flintoff with Brett Lee ? Yesterday the Aussies to a man went to Stokes and Leach and despite their "humiliation" as it will be seen by their Fans and congratulated them

Most Aussies will be pig sick - and that is good enough for me - and it doesnt didnt need the beer slinging over their Fans. Good humoured banter would have been better "Like 67 and you f*****d it up"

Totally agree - I made a point of shaking every Aussies hand that I could and took the time to speak to them and gee them up for the up-coming games.....

Trouble is, you can't teach pork........... etc etc