Ben Stokes sets new record for fastest half-century by England batter in Tests

One can never count out Ben Stokes when it comes to being an exhilarating presence in cricket, be it with bat or ball. In the third and final Test of the series against the West Indies at Edgbaston, England orchestrated a thorough and unyielding victory over the visitors, clinching a commanding ten-wicket win with more than seven sessions in the kitty. Nevertheless, Mark Wood's magnificent five-wicket haul, which reduced the West Indies to a mere 175 in their second innings, was decidedly eclipsed by the audacious, Ben Stokes.

Stokes, with his characteristic bravado, ruthlessly dismantled the bowlers during the modest chase of 82, achieving a spectacular half-century in just 24 deliveries. This performance not only overshadowed Wood's feat but also shattered Ian Botham's 43-year-old record where he took four additional deliveries to reach a half-century in Delhi against India.

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What further accentuates the remarkable nature of the spectacle is that Stokes accomplished this feat while opening the batting - a role he assumed temporarily due to Zak Crawley's absence, who was undergoing a scan for a fractured index finger on his right hand. He reached this outstanding achievement by powerfully striking a short delivery angled outside off stump for a maximum over the deep midwicket boundary off the bowling of Shamar Joseph.

At one point, Stokes was at 41 off 18 balls and was on only a couple of hits away from surpassing the men's Test record for the fastest half-century, set by Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq with 21 balls against Australia in 2014.

Stokes also mentioned that he was unaware of having definitively broken the record until he conversed with England's assistant coach Paul Collingwood in the dressing room. He was uncertain when his opening partner, Ben Duckett, speculated during the run-chase that it might indeed be the record for the fastest half-century by an English batter.

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"I didn’t but when I brought it up, Ducky [Ben Duckett] said it could be the fastest but Colly is the man upstairs who likes keeping track of all the little records that players make as individuals, so he told me upstairs. It’s pretty cool," stated Stokes, during a conversation at BBC Test Match Special, as quoted by BBC Sport.

Head coach, Brendon McCullum, renowned in his playing days for a similarly aggressive approach to bowlers regardless of conditions or formats, praised Stokes' power-hitting. He also lauded Stokes' leadership qualities, particularly noting his willingness to assume the responsibility of opening the batting after Crawley had to undergo an X-ray scan

"When Zak had to go and get an X-ray, Stokesy said he would open and that is fantastic from your leader. The way he struck the ball was absolutely beautiful," mentioned McCullum

Stokes is set to feature in four matches for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, before captaining England in the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, commencing on August 21, 2024.