There is no iota of doubt that currently, Ben Stokes is England’s best batsman. The southpaw has been in red-hot form in the recent past and he was always going to be a big wicket for the West Indies in the ongoing Ruth Strauss Foundation Test match. Stokes had once again got off to a start as he scored 20 runs but Kemar Roach produced a beauty to get rid of the danger man.
In fact, Roach was able to beautifully set up the left-hander. Roach bowled two bouncers to Stokes before disturbing his woodwork. The Windies pacer smashed Stokes on the helmet and thus a doctor had come out to check for the concussion. Subsequently, Roach bowled another bumper but this time Stokes was able to make the connection with the bat and also found the gap to score a boundary.
Kemar Roach scalped two wickets
Roach then bowled a good length ball which nipped back into the left-hander and found the gap between the bat and pad to hit the top of middle and off-stump. It was a huge wicket for the West Indies as Stokes has been in sublime form.
Stokes had scored 254 runs in the second Test match and he was at his absolute best in the previous match. In fact, Stokes will not be able to bowl in this Test match due to quad injury. He is playing as a specialist batsman and thus England had to drop Zak Crawley to play an extra seamer.
After Stokes’ dismissal, England also lost the wicket of Rory Burns when Rahkeem Cornwall took a stunning catch. This left England in a soup at 122-4. However, Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler were able to get their team out of the woods as they added 136 runs for the fifth wicket alliance.
Pope scored his fourth Test fifty and he is unbeaten on 91 runs whereas Buttler got the much-needed runs for himself as well as the team as he scored 54. Ollie Pope showed great technique and picked up quick singles in the initial phase of the innings. The right-hander also played some flamboyant drives through the off-side. England finished the opening day at 258-4.
Here is the video:
Big wicket for the tourists.
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/pvF724ZqtE#ENGvWI #RedForRuth pic.twitter.com/mWTz67aOQI
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 24, 2020