Interesting Facts About Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is a renowned name in the cricket fraternity and represents England in all three formats regularly. Stokes is arguably the best all-rounder across three formats in the globe lately. He can bat aggressively at lower middle order and bowl around 140 km/hr pace, and also a gun fielder in the park. After Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff, England was lacking an all-rounder in the team, but the arrival of Ben Stokes in the national side has fulfilled the needs of the English side. Today Ben Stokes turned 30, let’s take a gaze at some interesting facts about Ben Stokes, the whirlwind all-rounder.

Interesting Facts About Ben Stokes 

1. Benjamin Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand to the former Rugby player and mentor Gerad Stokes and English mother Deborah Stokes. But in 2003, Stokes went to England at the age of 12. 

2. Stokes used to go to Cockermouth School in the United Kingdom and has played for his school cricket team. As his father was a Rugby player and coach of the Working Town Rugby Club, he took part in rugby until 15. But he was never enthusiastic about the game, his heart has always belonged to cricket.

3. Ben Stokes made his debut in domestic cricket for Durham County Cricket Club in 2009. He took the big wicket of former English batsman Mark Ramprakash in the 3rd delivery of his very first List A match. 

4. Stokes was part of England’s squad in the 2010 U-19 World Cup. England finished their journey in the quarter-finals. Ben amassed 166 runs in 6 matches at a commendable average of 41.50 and grabbed 7 wickets with the ball. 

5. Ben Stokes won the 2013 County Championship with Durham County Cricket Club after making his first-class debut for the club in 2010. 

6. Stokes made his first international appearance for England against Ireland in an ODI match in 2011. He managed to score only 3 runs and was not given the ball. He has played 38 T20Is for his country and notched up 442 runs at a decent strike rate of 136.8. With the ball, Stokes has got 19 wickets so far. 

7. Ben Stokes made his test debut against Australia in the 2014 Ashes Series. In the third match of his very first test series, he brought up his maiden test century, 120 off 195 balls. His first fifer came in the 5th match of the series, he returned with 6 for 99 in the first innings, including the wickets of Aussie Skipper Michael Clarke and Steve Smith. The start of his Test career was a phenomenon. At the end of the series, Stokes accumulated 279 runs and bagged 15 wickets. England got a big superstar in form of Ben Stokes.

8. Stokes holds a lot of records in test cricket.

i) He has smashed the 2nd fastest double century in Test cricket history in 2016 in just 163 balls in the 1st innings against South Africa in Capetown. At the end of his innings, he scored 258 runs off 198 balls and became the quickest batsman to score 250 in tests in just 196 balls. Stokes fabricated a partnership of 399 runs for the 6th wicket with Jonny Bairstow, which is the highest for the 6th wicket in tests. 

ii) Stokes has smacked the 2nd most number of sixes in a Test inning, 11 sixes against South Africa in 2016. He equaled Mathew Hayden, Brendon McCullum, and Nathan Astle.

iii)his 258 against South Africa is also the highest score by a batsman batting at the number 6 position. 

iv) Stokes is the 2nd all-rounder from England to score 4000 runs and take 100 wickets in tests after Sir Ian Botham.

9. The 2016 World Cup was a horrible experience for the talented English man. In the last over of the match, West Indies needed 19 runs from 6 balls. Carlos Brathwaite hit him for 4 consecutive sixes to take his team home. Ben Stokes was in tears after losing the final. But his teammates empathized with him and supported him to keep his morale up. 

10. Ben Stokes gave his sweat and blood for England in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He was the man of the match in the finals against New Zealand for his 84 off 98 balls. Stokes scored 465 runs in 11 matches and had 7 scalps with the ball. What a transition it has been for the strong man, from conceding 4 sixes in the 2016 T20 World Cup to winning the World Cup for his nation. 

11. His innings of 135* off 219 balls in the 3rd test match of the 2019 Ashes, is regarded as the best test innings by an English batsman. England needed 72 runs but had 1 wicket in hand. Stokes gave his team a thumping victory batting with the night watchman Jack Leach.

12. Stokes’s nicknames are “Stokesy” and “Benny”. English opener Alex Hales calls him and Jonny Bairstow  “Weasley Twins” as they look alike probably. 

13. Stokes is very passionate about his game. For getting out on a duck in a T20 match against West Indies in 2013 at Kensington, he punched the locker in the dressing room in a rage, which fractured his wrist. He was excluded from the 2014 T20 World Cup following the incident. For this incident, his teammates would call him “Hurt Locker”.

14. Ben Stokes has a love for tattoos. His whole body is covered with a variety of beautiful designs. The tattoo on his left arm says “Being the best that you can be is only possible if you desire to be a champion and your fear of failure is non-existent”.

15. Ben Stokes was bought by Rising Pune Supergiants for a huge amount of $2.1 million. He was also the most valuable player of that edition for making 316 runs & taking 12 wickets in 12 matches.

16. Stokesy’s jersey number is 55. 

17. His favorite food is Omelet.

18. The estimated net worth of Ben Stoke is $10 million.

19. Stokes was given the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for being the player of the year 2020 ICC.

20. Ben Stokes got married in 2013 to Clare Ratcliffe. They have two children together.