Ben Stokes recreates the 2019 ICC World Cup final overthrows moment yet again which had helped them lift their maiden title in history.
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On ‘Day 3’ of the ongoing first Test match between England and New Zealand at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, the England skipper and all-rounder Ben Stokes almost pulled off that 2019 World Cup final moment, where his dive at the striker’s end had the ball deflect off his bat for a boundary in the last Over.
It all happened on the first delivery of the 43rd Over of England’s second innings. Joe Root pulled the short delivery bowled by Trent Boult towards the fielder stationed at mid-wicket, who affected a brilliant diving stop to his right.
Stokes, at the non-striker’s end was in two minds to go for the run or not, as Root had his eyes on the ball and the fielder. With him almost halfway down the pitch, Root refused to take the run with the fielder also in a good enough position to aim at the stumps in the bowler’s end.
Ultimately, while the fielder did aim at that end, a full stretch extension of his arms meant that Stokes was safely back home, but the ball deflected off his bat towards the mid-off region, to bring about smiles on almost everyone’s faces.
Ben Stokes recreates the 2019 ICC World Cup final overthrows moment
Post the deflection, almost everyone in the ground went nostalgic and had flashbacks of the famous World Cup final overthrows moment, which had become a massive topic of debate for many days.
While the batters decided to not go for the extra run, both Stokes and then Root put their hands up, to imitate the former’s ‘not guilty’ moment back then post that dive, which had cost New Zealand as many as six runs on the penultimate delivery of the World Cup final.
Coincidence much, on both the occasions it was Trent Boult with the ball in hand with the match venue being the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
As far as the ongoing match is concerned, Stokes and Root stitched a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket en route their chase of 277 runs, after the former got a reprieve at the score of one on his birthday after being cleaned-up by Colin de Grandhomme off a No Ball.
The England skipper then went on to score 54 (110), before getting dismissed off a bouncer from Kyle Jamieson. With 5 wickets in hand, England now need under 100 runs for victory, with Root still at the crease.
