It was an amazing summer for Ben Stokes where he won the World Cup and helped his team draw the 2019 Ashes series, although England failed to regain the Ashes. Ben Stokes was instrumental in England’s 2019 World Cup-winning campaign. He displayed his excellent form in the first match of the tournament by scoring 89 runs, taking two wickets, causing a run-out and taking one of the best catches of all time to dismiss South Africa’s Andile Phenlukwayo and was declared Man of the Match. Ben Stokes made five half-centuries in the tournament and ended the World Cup with 465 runs to his name at an average of 66.42. In the final against New Zealand, Ben Stokes scored 84 not out. His two sixes in the final over were crucial in taking the match to the Super Over. Stokes also batted in the super over with Jos Butler, which again was a tie but England won the World Cup by having superior boundary count. Stokes was named Man of the Match in the final and was also included in the “Team of the Tournament” for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Ben Stokes came into he 2019 Ashes in top form and brimming with confidence. After his excellent performance in white-ball cricket, Ben Stokes proved that he was equally good in the longest form of the game too. The English team had to face a deadly and incisive Australian bowling attack and superb batting contributions from Steve Smith and his teammates. In the third Test of the series at Headingley, England was in a perilous situation. Having won the toss and elected to bowl first, England was bowled out just 67 runs in their first innings, their lowest against Australia in the Ashes since 194. Chasing a target of 359 runs, England was 286 for 9 and a loss was looking anything but certain. But Ben Stokes managed to overturn the lead the Australians had by scoring an unbeaten 135, hitting 11 fours and 8 sixes. This was England’s highest successful run chase in Tests. Many experts described Stoke’s innings as the best innings ever played by an Englishman. England managed to draw the series but failed to regain the Ashes. Both the teams are with 56 points in the World Test Championship Points Table, with Australia a position above England due to their superior Runs Per Wicket Ratio.
England is scheduled to tour England from 27 October to 3 December 2019. New Zealand vs England Schedule 2019 consists of five Twenty20 International matches and two Test matches. The Test matches are not part of the 2019-2021 ICC World Test Championship. This will be the first clash between these two teams after their World Cup final match. Ben Stokes would be looking forward to continuing his Test performance and do some more wonder o the Kiwi soil. Stokes is not part of the T20 squad of the tour.
