Ben Stokes

[sussexpob]

i would say his bowling has already developed massively since his debut 18 months ago

His stats show no noticeably improvement at all with the ball, he averaged nearly 50 a wicket until the last test for the year, which is bad for a part timer.

[backfootpunch]

i would say his bowling has already developed massively since his debut 18 months ago

His stats show no noticeably improvement at all with the ball, he averaged nearly 50 a wicket until the last test for the year, which is bad for a part timer.

im not basing it on stats

im basing it on the fact that in the last few months he seems to be much more accurate than he was, he no longer bowls 2 or 3 boundary balls on over

looking at the stats i am not surprised to see his economy rates in his last four tests are 2.5/1.7/4.5/2.7

that suggests improvement to me given the amount of runs he was going for in the series against west indies and new zealand

[Slipstream]

I thought it funny when Stokes was hit for a boundary that he shouted NO! MISBAH followed by a few swear words.

[meninblue]

Good innings of 74*. Also will offer lot more in remaining 4 days

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hope he gets the ton. He needs one to get the critics onside for a bit.

[The Professor]

"Although Stokes has still to finish the job by advancing to three figures, he has so far done a fine impersonation of Ian Botham in his batting pomp of 1981. An allrounder has the liberty to attack the second new ball as a specialist batsman feels unable to do, and Stokes struck 32 runs off the 25 balls that he faced after South Africa were re-armed.

If Stokes can go on tomorrow to score the first century for England in their last 10 Tests other than by Alastair Cook and Joe Root, it would not be blasphemous to compare his batting – not his bowling – with that of another great allrounder at number six. Substitute the t and k in his surname with a b and r: for his strokeplay, in being generated by an equally high backlift, has echoes of Garfield Sobers when he was 24."

Berry in The Telegraph, who oftentimes loses his mind at the merest sign of I,prove meant by an Englishman compares Stokes to both Botham and Sobres (albeit through the means of an anagram)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cook only has one ton in the last ten games (albeit a big one) so it's not that different from the rest of the team bar Joe. Root has two, so not stratospheric either.

[meninblue]

Freddie has almost similar stats to Irfan. And I am aware how much Irfan is rated here. Difference is style of celebration and poster boy image by media between two.

Ben should look to be Kallis or Sobers than looking to acheive stats of Freddie or Irfan. If he fail in that okay he can at least be Freddie/Irfan type. It is obvious which stats he will prefer and if that are motivating him he might acheive them as well. So far the early symptoms are good.

When Sunny retired oldies thought the new generation are not good to produce another Sunny. But we saw Sachin and Rahul. When Sachin retired most of my genrration said he wont be matched, but Virat looks like he will acheive more than Sachin at least in ODI. There are replacements. Wheb Sobers retired nobidy expected Kallis would acheive those stats. Why cant another next generation all rounder show progressive results like we are already seeing in time gone by. It is possible and it is proved better quality cricketers are found.

[meninblue]

155 not out from 138 This is what Sehwag and Warner did. Big hundreds or doubles an triples at ODI/T20 strike rate

[meninblue]

Now record owner of second fastest double centurion Wonderful innings of 258 in 198 balls, that too quickly after coming back from shoulder injury.

[Making_Splinters]

We all know that Stokes can be a fantastic player for England. Innings like today, Australia on debut and against New Zealand last summer have shown he could be a top class middle order batsman and provide that force that England have not had since KP "retired". His bowling at times has been as good as any bowler to play for England in the last 10 years outside Broad and Anderson.

But, he needs to start putting the performances on a more consistant basis before we should be throwing platitudes at him.

[m@tt]

But, he needs to start putting the performances on a more consistant basis before we should be throwing platitudes at him.

A player of great innings. Not a great player, at least not yet - the potential is frightening!

[backfootpunch]

But, he needs to start putting the performances on a more consistant basis before we should be throwing platitudes at him.

A player of great innings. Not a great player, at least not yet - the potential is frightening!

thinking how good he could be in 3 or 4 years must be worrying for the other test nations

[Dr Cricket]

But, he needs to start putting the performances on a more consistant basis before we should be throwing platitudes at him.

A player of great innings. Not a great player, at least not yet - the potential is frightening!

thinking how good he could be in 3 or 4 years must be worrying for the other test nations

Right now reckon only Australia, South Africa will be worried.
Don't really see Stokes a threat in England or in Asia yet.
more likely to be a gun in SA or Aus where the flat decks, pace and bounce suit him.
of course they be worried if he did have a special day though.

lol newman ready going over the top.

No matter. Unless something unforeseen happens we now know that Stokes will be a great cricketer and probably a better all-rounder, if his bowling continues to progress too, than any Englishman other than Sir Ian Botham.

It could even be argued that this was the most swashbuckling and significant innings by an England batsman since Sir Ian’s fabled Ashes-defining hundreds at Headingley and Old Trafford in 1981. It was that good. It was Ben Stokes day of destiny.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke ... -Town.html

Brilliant knock by stokes but still think most captain will think they can remove Stokes quite easily or he will give them a chance.

[Dr Cricket]

Also depends where Stokes bats.
if stokes is still a top 6 bat without still being consistent with the bat, will give opposition teams hope they can dismiss England cheaply.
if he a number 7 teams will be worried since he can win games with the bat and gives England 4 or 3 seam options every game and still play 5 bowlers.

Still got a long way to go, got huge potential.
Think he more of a bowler than a batsman, not sure he good enough to bat in the top 6.