Born in New Zealand and playing for England, Ben Stokes needs no extra motivation when it comes to facing Australia.
The 22-year-old allrounder went to the crease at a critical time on Monday, with the top order back in the pavilion and England needing somebody to dig in and prolong its hold on the Ashes.
Stokes finished the day unbeaten on 72, his maiden half century coming in only his second test. He’ll resume his innings on Tuesday, with England at 251-5 — after being set an improbable 504 to win — and needing to bat all day to prevent Australia from regaining the old urn for the first time in four Ashes series.
Stokes had already taken 2-82 when Australia batted, having to take on extra load with strike paceman Stuart Broad unable to bowl or field due to a foot injury he sustained while batting, and bowled with good speed against batsmen who were on the attack.
“He’s got a fantastic future ahead of him,” said Ian Bell, who shared a 99-run partnership with Stokes before he was out for 60 late on day four at the WACA. “The way he’s shown he can play quick bowling, the way he hits down the ground.”
“And just that attitude with the ball. He just gets on with it, runs in all day. He bowls good pace,” Bell added. “He showed today what he can do with the bat. I think he’s got a massive future for us, which is exciting. He’s a really good find.”
Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but moved to England as a child with his father Gerard, a rugby league player and coach, and started his professional cricket career at Durham.
He played 10 limited-overs internationals before his test debut, including four against Australia in September, when he picked up a career best 5-61 and scored 27 runs.
But he didn’t have his first test exchanges with the Australians until last week in Adelaide, where his mid-pitch brush with pace bowler Mitchell Johnson got him a meeting with the ICC match referee. He showed plenty of promise with bat and ball in a big defeat.
Bell said England needed Stokes to keep going and turn his start into a very big score. Broad was cleared of a fractured foot and England has said he will bat if required on the fifth day, which is likely.
“We’re still hanging in there, and that’s the important thing. We need to take tomorrow as deep as we possibly can, keep showing some fight,” he said. “Ben Stokes was outstanding today. Some great shots. The potential for the future looks massive with Ben.”
Australian allrounder Shane Watson, who plundered 11 boundaries and five sixes in his 106-ball century on Monday, also praised his England counterpart. “He’s a very exciting prospect for England. He’s a really exciting allrounder,” Watson said. “He’s only really going to get better.”