Whole World Had Come Down - Stokes

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes has spoken for the first time since England’s defeat in the World Twenty20 final, saying he felt “the whole world had come down on me”.

The England all-rounder had been charged with ensuring West Indies could not recover the 19 runs needed in the final over to take the T20 trophy. Instead he was hit for four consecutive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite and was taunted afterwards by the man of the match Marlon Samuels for bowling full tosses. “He doesn’t learn,” the batsman said.

Stokes recalled the moment vividly in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, saying: “I thought, ‘I’ve just lost the World Cup’. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to do. It took me so long to get back on my feet. I didn’t want to get back up. It was like the whole world had come down on me. There weren’t any good things going through my mind. It was just complete devastation,” he said.

“For about 40 minutes at the end of the game I knew I just had to deal with it. I had to come back out on the field, collect my medal and listen to all the speeches. I knew the cameras would be all over me to see how I was. Obviously I was gutted but I did not want to show that. I wanted to keep my head up.

Although his captain Eoin Morgan was quick to offer his support there were unwanted repercussions this week when Stokes’s mother Deborah, who lives in New Zealand, phoned the Radio Hauraki show to defend her son after the hosts criticised his performance. Her complaint was broadcast live on air without her permission. The two hosts were suspended.

Stokes recalled the denouement. “After the first six I thought ‘Oh God’ but I was backing myself. I had been in that type of situation for four weeks in all my training so it was not a case of holding anything back and thinking I hope I get this one in, because I knew I could do it,” he said.

“It was not until they needed one off three that I knew the game was gone. When they needed seven I was still backing myself to get us over the line but I just couldn’t. It was amazing hitting. I just did not execute what I wanted to do.”

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Brathwaite Halts England T20 Hopes

Carlos Braithwaite and Chris Gayle, West Indies, World Twet20 Final
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West Indies won a tense World T20 final in spectacular style, when Carlos Brathwaite hit the first four balls of the final over for four sixes, making a mockery of what looked a stiff task of 19 off six Ben Stokes deliveries. 

West Indies finished on 161 for six.

England had posted 155 for nine as Joe Root led the way with a classy half-century. When Darren Sammy won his 10th straight toss he was quick to send England in and promptly saw them lose three quick cheap wickets in the first five overs. But Root’s 54 in 36 balls gave the innings some backbone, with Jos Buttler (36) and David Willey (21) chipping in as wickets tumbled regularly in Kolkata.

When West Indies batted, they quickly slipped to 11 for three, with Chris Gayle making only four. But Marlon Samuels was reprieved after being given out with the score on 37 and finished with 85 off 66 balls. 

Then came Brathwaite’s fireworks.

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South Africa Win Sri Lankan Dead Rubber

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Hashim Amla hit an unbeaten 56 as South Africa closed the Super 10 stage of the World Twenty20 with an eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Delhi.

A dead rubber between two eliminated sides was never likely to produce spectacular cricket but South Africa were comfortable victors at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. They took all 10 Sri Lankan wickets for 120, with the 39-year-old Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scoring with 36, before Amla broke the back of a gentle chase.

The only two wickets to fall were down to good fortune, Quinton de Kock dawdling towards his crease as he was run out for nine and Faf du Plessis given out lbw to a rotten decision. Amla would not be moved, though, dropping anchor for 52 balls and hitting five fours and a six.

AB de Villiers (20), whose presence attracted many of the 16,000 fans who attended, ended things with a six off Suranga Lakmal.

A win here will be cold comfort for South Africa, whose fabled under-performance at global events has gained another chapter, while their opponents look to have a long rebuilding phase ahead.

Sri Lanka were missing their captain, Angelo Mathews, who injured a hamstring during his brilliant one-man stand against England, but began their innings well with a bright opening stand of 45.

The left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso broke that up by bowling Dinesh Chandimal through the gate and then cleaned up Lahiru Thirimanne with his next delivery.

Dilshan put on another 30 with Milinda Siriwardana before the latter was carelessly run out and that represented the best Sri Lanka could muster.

By the time Farhaan Behardien had Dilshan lbw on the sweep the innings had lost its spine. Sri Lanka’s next five wickets fell for 35, with the last man, Lakmal, run out with three balls left to bowl.

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Pattinson Five Thumps Windies

Paceman James Pattinson took five for 27 to fire Australia to a thumping first Test victory 

over West Indies by an innings and 121 runs with more than two days to spare at Hobart on Saturday.

Australia enforced the follow-on after dismissing the tourists for 223 inside the first five overs of the third day at Bellerive Oval, and completed the rout by skittling West Indies for 148 in their second innings.

It was Australia’s second largest victory in 114 Tests against the Caribbean islanders and gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in a three-match series, which concludes with Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia, who could return to the top of the Test rankings with a 3-0 series sweep, made 583 for four declared in their first innings on the back of a world record fourth wicket stand of 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh.

Darren Bravo scored a fine 108 in the first innings and Kraigg Brathwaite notched 94 in the second but questions will continue to be asked about the long-term future of West Indies Test cricket after an otherwise hapless display.

Despite the poverty of the opposition, Australia will take positives from the match-turning performance from their inexperienced middle order, as well as from Pattinson’s fiery and productive spell in eight overs on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood (4-45) took the lead as the hosts wrapped up West Indies’ innings with only 16 runs added to their overnight tally of 207-6 on a chilly morning in Tasmania.

It was Pattinson, playing his first Test in 18 months in place of the injured Mitchell Starc, who provided the spearhead after Steve Smith had become the first Australia skipper in six years to enforce the follow-on on home soil.

Opener Rajendra Chandrika lasted just three balls before departing with his third duck in four Test innings before Bravo (4) earned the questionable distinction of being dismissed twice in the same session.

Two overs later and Pattinson sent back Marlon Samuels (3) and Jermaine Blackwood (0) in successive balls, giving Australia a hat-trick chance for the second time in one day.

Pattinson was unable to convert and it was all-rounder Mitchell Marsh who next took advantage of the feeble batting, having Denesh Ramdin caught for four off his first delivery.

Jason Holder put on 30 with Brathwaite before Pattinson returned to claim his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, the West Indies skipper flicking his 32nd delivery down the leg side and into the gloves of Peter Nevill for 17.

Nevill was again in action to dismiss Kemar Roach (3) off Hazlewood and the right-arm paceman got his sixth wicket of the match when Jerome Taylor holed out in the deep for 12.

Brathwaite was the final wicket to fall, bowled by Hazlewood (3-33), as West Indies pace bowler Shannon Gabriel did not bat in either innings after injuring his ankle on day one.

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Anderson Breaks Botham Record

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James Anderson has surpassed Sir Ian Botham’s record to become England’s leading Test wicket-taker of all time.

The Lancashire seamer achieved the milestone in his 100th Test when Alastair Cook caught Denesh Ramdin for 57 with just under 19 overs left on day five of the opening Test against the West Indies in Antigua.

The historic moment wasn’t the catalyst for an England victory though as Jason Holder dug in to score his maiden Test century as the tourists – who began the day on 98-2 after being set 438 to win – survived on a flat pitch to salvage a draw, reaching 350-7 at stumps.

Anderson, 32, began the final day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on 382 Test wickets, one behind Botham, whose career spanned 102 matches.

He moved level with the former all-rounder and Sky Sports pundit by dismissing Marlon Samuels for 23, James Tredwell taking a fine catch at gully, with the second ball of the 16th over of the day to leave the home side on 127-4.

But England claimed only two more wickets in the next 55 overs – those of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (13) and Jermaine Blackwood (31) – before Anderson struck again, skipper Cook taking a sharp chance at first slip to spark jubilant celebrations and words of congratulation from former all-rounder Botham.

"I can't think of anyone better to go past me because people don't realise the amount of hard work that goes in to bowl as he does,” he told Sky Sports.

"It's great to watch, it's great entertainment and it's an art - it really is. He's worked hard to be that good."

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Bob Willis, who sits third in England’s all-time list with 325 wickets from 90 Tests, said Anderson should now aim to improve his tally to 500 scalps.

“I can’t overestimate the scale of James Anderson’s achievement – it is truly fantastic,” he said. “It’s quite something for a fast bowler to play 100 Test matches, but an incredible feat for Jimmy to get past Ian Botham’s record.

“There’s nothing to stop Jimmy going on to take 500 Test wickets. I’m sure he’ll want to do that.”

For all England’s efforts, they could not force victory though as Holder shared a 105-run stand with Ramdin in 32.1 overs before posting his hundred off 146 in an innings containing 15 fours.

The Windies were wobbling at lunch after losing three wickets in the morning session – Devon Smith (65) holing out off Tredwell, before Joe Root trapped Chanderpaul lbw after Samuels fell to Anderson.

But Ramdin and Holder mounted a superb rearguard action in the afternoon session after Jermaine Blackwood (31) swiped across the line at Chris Jordan and got a thin edge behind.

Cook rotated his bowlers consistently in search of earning the four wickets necessary for victory in the final session but Ramdin and Holder each posted half-centuries as their hundred stand came up off 177 balls.

Anderson finally prised out Ramdin, thanks to a superb outswinger that found the edge of his bat and the seamer thought he had another when Kemar Roach was given out caught down the leg-side only for the decision to be overturned on review.

The final say belonged to Holder, who beat his chest as he reached three figures to close the door on England's victory hopes.

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