Gritty Ben Stokes hammers his 14th 50-plus score in Ashes
What's the story
England skipper Ben Stokes led a remarkable fightback for his side in the ongoing third Ashes Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. He scored 83 runs en route to a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership with Jofra Archer. The duo helped England finish at 286/10 while batting second in the game. Australia had posted 371/10 in their first innings, giving them an overall lead of 85 runs. Here are further details.
Partnership details
Stokes's innings and partnership with Archer
Stokes's defiant 198-ball innings was instrumental in bringing England back into the contest. He was eventually dismissed by Mitchell Starc, bowled for 83 runs. The highlight of his innings was a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership with Archer, who scored a valuable 51 runs off 97 balls. Stokes, who resumed at his overnight score of 45, continued to bat well. His partnership with Archer was vital as the visitors were reduced to 168/8 on Day 1.
Stats
Second fifty of the series for Stokes
Stokes smashed eight fours en route to his 83 off 198 balls. This was his second fifty of the ongoing series, and a 10th overall in Ashes. The tally includes four tons as well. He has now completed 1,722 runs against Australia at 35.87. Overall, Stokes hit his 37th Test fifty as he also boasts 14 centuries. Across 118 Test matches, Stokes has raced to 7,192 at an average of 35.60.
Partnership
Record stand with Archer
As per Cricbuzz, Stokes and Archer, who added 106 runs, became just the fifth England pair to record a 100-plus partnership for the 9th wicket or lower in Tests Down Under. The only other English pair to accomplish this feat in the last 100 years is that of Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad (100 in Melbourne, 2017). Meanwhile, England's 286/10 is the fifth-highest Test total after a team lost eight wickets inside 175 runs.