Ben Stokes Greatest Test Innings: Headingley, the World Cup, and Bazball

Ben Stokes is one of Test cricket's most compelling figures — a left-handed batsman and right-arm seam bowler capable of single-handedly altering a match's destiny. In 2019 alone, he produced two of the sport's most celebrated individual performances: a World Cup Final Super Over and an unbeaten 135 that defeated Australia at Headingley. Since 2022, as England's Test captain alongside coach Brendon McCullum, Stokes has reinvented Test batting through the Bazball philosophy.

Headingley 2019: The Greatest Test Innings?

The third Ashes Test at Headingley, August 2019. England needed 359 to win — an effectively impossible target historically. At 286 for 9, they still needed 73 more with last man Jack Leach at the crease. Stokes, on 61, began one of cricket's most audacious partnerships. Leach faced just one ball in the entire partnership. Stokes hit Pat Cummins for six, then cut Nathan Lyon to bring up the winning boundary, finishing unbeaten on 135. England won by one wicket. The photograph of Stokes on one knee, arms raised, is one of cricket's defining images.

2019 World Cup Final: Super Over Drama

Just weeks before Headingley, Stokes was at the centre of the 2019 ICC World Cup Final at Lord's against New Zealand. England and New Zealand tied the match at 241 each. In the Super Over, Stokes and Jos Buttler needed to score enough to win. A direct throw deflected off Stokes's bat for four overthrows — a controversial but legal occurrence under ICC rules — giving England the runs to tie the Super Over too. England won on boundary countback, winning their first World Cup. Stokes scored 84* in the main innings.

Bazball: Reinventing Test Cricket

• Stokes became England Test captain in April 2022, with Brendon McCullum as head coach
• Bazball: aggressive, positive intent-based Test batting — declaring early, chasing anything
• England set and chased targets of 300+ routinely under Stokes, previously considered impossible
• Won 12 of first 14 Tests under Stokes and McCullum
• Retained Ashes 2023 (2-2 draw) playing adventurous cricket throughout

All-Round Credentials

As a bowler, Stokes has taken 200+ Test wickets with genuine pace and the ability to swing the Dukes ball under English conditions. His five-for against West Indies in 2017 at Leeds was a masterclass in reverse swing. His combination of match-winning batting and reliable bowling places him alongside Andrew Flintoff and Ian Botham in the pantheon of England all-rounders.

Personal Battles and Mental Health

Stokes took a mental health break from cricket in July 2021, stepping back mid-summer after years of relentless cricket. He returned refreshed and played a key role in England's 2021-22 Ashes series. His openness about mental health struggles made him a role model beyond cricket. He retired from ODI cricket in July 2022 to manage his workload and extend his Test career.