‘Will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us’ - Ben Stokes’ motivating speech after fourth Ashes Test in 2023

England was under tremendous pressure after losing the first two Ashes Tests in 2023. The Ben Stokes-led side had the momentum and the belief but when it came to execution, they struggled to make the most of it. However, in the third Test at Leeds, the Three Lions made an important comeback, winning the match by three wickets. To seal the series and win the urn, they had to win both the remaining matches but unfortunately, a draw in the fourth Test in Manchester crushed their chances.

Rain played a spoilsport as England’s dream of winning back the urn ended at Old Trafford. The players were discouraged and that’s when Stokes delivered a motivating speech to inspire his teammates. In a three-part documentary series 'Ashes 2023 | Our Take' produced by England and Wales Cricket Board, Stokes was seen stating that even though they could not get the job done, people who watched them play were lucky as they never compromised on intent.

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The England skipper added that the character shown by the players in difficult times was the biggest reward. He believes that the fans would be happy with their effort but he was equally gutted for not being able to win the urn back.

“Everything we've done up until now isn't going to stop because we haven't managed to win the urn back. The reward for our work isn't what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we've managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket,” Stokes was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“I know it's going to be a bit flat, I know it's going to hurt that we go into the next game (at The Oval) not being able to get the urn back. But what we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team – be the team that everybody will always remember,” he added. 

England went on to win the fifth Ashes Test by 49 runs at Kennington Oval in London as the series ended on level terms.