Ben Stokes blasted his way to a 64-ball century for Durham against Worcestershire at New Road on Friday, in his first innings in county cricket since being named England Test captain. Stokes scored his century in spectacular way, slamming five consecutive sixes off Josh Baker in a single over to reach the three-figure mark.
Stokes took on the bowlers and abruptly changed gears after reaching his half-century in 47 balls, requiring only 17 deliveries to score the remaining 50 runs. Stokes came in at number six and batted with a positive attitude from the start.
Stokes was recently named England's Test captain after Joe Root stepped out following series losses to the West Indies and Australia.
Stokes' selection might signal a new beginning for England, who have underperformed in this World Test Championship cycle (2021-2023). (WTC).
With only one win in 13 games, England is currently at the bottom of the table. Australia leads the table with five wins from eight games, followed by South Africa and India in second and third place, respectively.
"It was a good day, wasn't it?" Stokes said, with a broad smile and left it at that.