New Delhi: Amid an anticipation among cricket fans who must have waited agitatedly since the last day of the second Test between West Indies and England, to witness James Anderson claim his 500th Test wicket, it was Ben Stokes who crashed the party with his stellar performance with the ball. Stokes finished with an impressive 6/22 as bundle out the West Indies side for an abysmal 123 runs.
It is the last of the three Test matches. The Decider, as it is called. After an astounding win against the home side in the second Test match, Windies were surely up with confidence to emulate the same at the home of cricket, Lord's. But it was just a cloud of tgought which was immediately popped with lethal swingers from Anderson, early into the day.
The pacer scalped two as his wickets tally went to 499. Skipper Joe Root changed the attack and brought in Stokes. He dismissed Kieran Powell with a clean caught and bowled action of a fuller delivery. Few overs later, the dismissed Roston Chase with an absolute 'jaffa' that had deceived the batsman. Just a delivery later Stokes sent back Dowrich after the outside off delivery kissed the thick outside edge of the bat to fly straight to Alastair Cook at slip. He made it 2 in 3!
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And another one! Powell caught and bowled by Stokes
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
Absolute jaffa from Stokes to dismiss Chase.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
2️wickets in 3️balls for Stokes as Dowrich goes for one!
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
His best however was the dismissal of the Windies skipper Jason Holder. An aboslute ripper of an outswinger, as the ball went on to rattle against the top of the off stump. Two overs later, the seamer-allrounder dimissed Kemar Roach and Gabriel off successive deliveries as Stokes crumbled down the tourists for mere 123 runs. He completed with his career-best 6/22, his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Owing to his incredibility with the ball, Stokes now joins an elite group of cricketers. He now becomes the eighth player to feature on both the batting and bowling honours list at Lord's. He had earlier struck a century against New Zealand two years back, ergo the batting list. Vinoo Mankad is the only Indian to feature on the list.
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Stokes gets the captain with some supreme swing bowling!
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
Ladies and gents, the latest addition to the Lord's bowling honours board!
Stokes gets his fifth to dismiss Roach. pic.twitter.com/EpXTTPCF63
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
Stokes on !
in the innings for the Durham man and West Indies are all out for 123.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2017
In response, England too were troubled to four down. 46 for four was what the score stood as after end of Day 1 action as Cook, Root, Westley and Stoneman, all departed early.
