Ben Stokes establishes a new record for England’s fastest half-century in Test cricket

When it comes to being a thrilling presence in cricket, whether it’s with the bat or the ball, Ben Stokes is uncountable. England produced a comprehensive and unwavering victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test of the series at Edgbaston, securing a dominant ten-wicket victory with more than seven sessions remaining in the bag. However, Ben Stokes’ bold performance was even more impressive than Mark Wood’s outstanding five-wicket haul, which limited the West Indies to just 175 in their second innings.

Stokes’s trademark bluster mercilessly tore at the bowlers in the modest chase of 82, scoring an incredible half-century off of just 24 deliveries. In addition to overshadowing Wood’s achievement, this performance destroyed Ian Botham’s 43-year-old record, which stood when he needed four more deliveries to reach a half-century against India in Delhi.

The fact that Stokes did this while opening the batting, a position he temporarily filled when Zak Crawley was having a scan for a fractured index finger on his right hand, only serves to highlight how amazing the display was. He accomplished this remarkable feat by hitting Shamar Joseph’s short delivery, which was aimed outside off stump, for a maximum over the deep midwicket boundary with great force.

At one point, Stokes was at 41 off 18 balls and just a few strikes away from breaking the men’s Test record for the fastest half-century, which was set in 2014 against Australia by Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan with 21 balls.

Stokes added that he didn’t know he had broken the record for sure until he spoke with England’s assistant coach Paul Collingwood in the locker room. When Ben Duckett, his opening partner, said during the run-chase that it might be the fastest half-century by an English hitter, he wasn’t sure.

“I didn’t, but after I brought it up, Ducky [Ben Duckett] said it might be the fastest, and he told me upstairs that Colly is the guy who likes to keep track of all the small records that players create on their own. According to BBC Sport, Stokes said, “It’s pretty cool,” in a conversation at BBC Test Match Special.

Stokes’ power-hitting was commended by head coach Brendon McCullum, who was known during his playing career for taking bowlers on with same aggression regardless of the circumstances or format. Additionally, he praised Stokes’ leadership abilities, highlighting in particular his readiness to take on the role of opening the batting after Crawley was required to have an X-ray.

“It’s great that your leader, Stokesy, offered to open when Zak needed to go have an X-ray. McCullum said, “He struck the ball in an incredibly beautiful way.”

Also Read: ‘He’s got the heart of a lion,’ Ben Stokes praises ‘phenomenal’ Mark Wood after his match-winning performance at Edgbaston

In The Hundred, Stokes will play four games for the Northern Superchargers. On August 21, 2024, he will captain England in the three-Test series against Sri Lanka.