Batting Ben
To the surprise of absolutely no one, this was yet another Test dominated by talk of Ben Stokes. Without straying into bowling chat (more on that later), Stokes so typically rose to the occasion not just once but twice. In the first innings, Stokes and Dom Sibley put in a batting performance so patient and sensible that briefly it hurt. Pain which soon went away when the alternative of 50-5 was pondered. The result was Stokes finishing on 176 off of 356 balls. Slow and rewarding.
In the second innings, Stokes turned run-chasing opener. This reaped one of the fastest half-centuries ever achieved by an England player, ending on 78 from just 57 balls. The best advice to other Test teams is simply to get you a man who can do both. Stokes’ reward for this, a promotion to third in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.
Yes, Ben Stokes is not just one of the best all-rounders in the world, he is truly one of the best batsmen. Such a claim is likely to be further tested in the third and final Test, given the loud rumblings that Stokes may feature as a specialist batsman in the pursuit of nurturing a lingering injury.
The flipside in the rankings was the knock-on effect of bumping down Joe Root. Personally, I feel any strong criticism of Root, and his scores in the Second Test, would be premature. It was the first cricket played in months, and I felt he looked good until he got out in the first innings. In the second, he played his role as a foil to Stokes well, falling to a run out. Hopefully, Root can push on and get a big score to finish the series.
Broad Is Back
Stuart Broad was back in action at Old Trafford, and he brought his A game. Devastating with the new ball, and as expressive as ever in his reactions to pretty much anything. It was a welcome return indeed, and one indeed that lends credence to Broad’s own suggestion that it may be unwise to lump him into the same age bracket as James Anderson.
Broad is 4 years younger, and the comparisons only get more interesting from there. At Broad’s current age, Anderson had 458 wickets, Broad has 488. Of course, direct comparison is dangerous as it fails to take into account different career starting points and Tests played in. The point more stands that it is likely Broad still has a lot left in him to offer.
Further support for this comes in the fact Broad has likely improved further in the last couple of years. Now bowling to a fuller length, Broad is getting wickets he may not have been getting previously, furthermore he has developed into one of the scariest bowlers for a left-handed-batsmen to have to face (Hi Davey Warner).
In the ICC Test Bowling Rankings Broad has risen to 10th, overtaking his compatriot Jimmy Anderson. With only 2 points separating Broad, Hazlewood, and Boult, I wouldn’t rule out Broad soon rising even higher.
Stokes And Woakes, Good All-Round Blokes
Stokes and Woakes, two true heroes of England’s World Cup Win, both made crucial contributions against the West Indies and were rewarded with ranking bumps.
Stokes is No.1. This to me is not controversial, with the best will in the world to Jason Holder, it feels like Stokes is operating on his own level right now. As aforementioned, he softened the West Indies up with bat, and later helped finish them off with ball. Stokes’ versatility is best summed up in how he became England’s short ball enforcer against the resilient Jermaine Blackwood. In lieu of an Archer or a Wood, Stokes was the one to break down what was becoming a tricky Windies partnership.
So it comes as no surprise he overtook Jason Holder, perhaps their back and forth will continue in the third test, though an all-rounder war may be stifled by Stokes playing mainly as a batsman.
Chris Woakes, one of the nicest guys in cricket, is perhaps beginning to get the credit he deserves. In the Second Test, Woakes got his 100th wicket, taking him to the feat of having 100 wickets and 1000+ runs in only 34 Tests. Whilst a lot has been and will be said about his less impressive record away from home, sometimes it goes forgotten just how good Woakes is with the ball in English conditions. His fine job with the new ball sees him rise to No.9 in the rankings. I only hope to see him go upwards.
Any predictions for who will shine in the next Test, let us know below!
