A team talk by Ben Stokes inspired an England fightback just as the first one-day international against Bangladesh looked to be over as a contest, reports the Telegraph on Friday.
With England sliding to defeat, Stokes, in his first game as vice-captain, called the players together and told them to “fight to the end”. Moments later Jake Ball took two wickets in two balls and England were back on course for a victory that Stokes himself had earlier set up with his first ODI century.
“One of the lads was down with cramp and Stokesy dragged everyone together. He is quite forceful when he speaks and he said ‘lets fight to the end and give it everything,” revealed Jos Buttler, the captain.
Stokes has been described as the heart beat of the team by head coach Trevor Baylis and this was a good night for the two new leaders of the side with Buttler contributing runs and vital bowling changes at the right time.
“It was a fantastic fightback from everyone. To get 310 in those conditions was probably worth 340. The two Bens put on a fantastic partnership and that is everything we want to be as a side. We were 63 for three but to play in the fashion they did to take the game back to Bangladesh was a hell of a partnership.”
