Ben Stokes stepped out to play his final ODI for England in the 1st match against South Africa at his home ground in Durham. It did not prove to be a memorable one for the all-rounder, but that does not take away the fact that he will go down as one of the premier all-rounders to play the format for England.
On a baking hot day in Durham, South Africa batted first and led by efforts of Rassie van de Dussen and Aiden Markram, the Proteas amassed 333 for 5. Ben Stokes struggled in the heat and in 5 overs with the ball, he conceded 44 runs and could not pick up a wicket.
All the focus was on him when he strode out to bat in his final innings and England was up against it. He strode in when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed and the perfect platform was set up to chase down the target. However, Stokes could not last for too long and was sent back by Aiden Markram as he attempted to reverse sweep a full ball. He had to walk back for just 5 in his final innings as the curtains came down on a glorious ODI career.
Here is how Twitter reacted to his final match:
England captain Jos Buttler spoke about Ben Stokes at the post-match presentation and said that everyone in the side will miss his services. “From all England fans, we want to say thank you for all that he's done for this team. He's been a fantastic ambassador in ODI cricket and we'll miss him,” Buttler said.
England lost momentum in the chase after their top three batters set up the perfect stage and fell short by 62 runs. Anrich Nortje starred with the ball for South Africa as he picked up 4 wickets.
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/7OR6QnY
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