To watch the way guys like Steve Smith and Pat Cummins played in the series was great, and just to be a part of the team that retained the Ashes was brilliant and something I will cherish forever. Unusually, Leach was left on strike as Cummins ran in at the start of the next over. There were one or two dramas before those final 10 deliveries. The 28-year-old said his careful cleaning routine was simply about removing condensation as he faced up to an Australia attack led by fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Maybe Ben Stokes has to be at the centre of all things that are possible. "It's nice to have that, it's probably because I look like a village cricketer out there, in my glasses and with the bald head," said Leach. Stokes was on strike from Nathan Lyon, and attempted another reverse sweep. "I would really regret it if they had been smudged and I'd got out, then the cameras zoom in on the glasses and they say, 'he didn't clean his glasses'. The fielders were spread far and wide but still he hit Lyon for two consecutive sixes, the second of which was the most preposterous switch-hit into the Western Terrace. "I probably thought I'd be watching the Ashes at home," he admitted. Now Stokes switched from Denly mode to d’Artagnan. Leach started scrambling a run; Stokes sent him back but it was clear as the throw from Pat Cummins headed towards Lyon that England’s valiant No 11 would be stranded. The way Ben Stokes was playing, we were obviously trying to get him off strike and give us a chance to bowl to Leach. No matter; there were two deliveries left and after his recent pyrotechnics surely Stokes would now deliver the final blow. But even in the latest series we still managed to retain the Ashes on their home soil and we should’ve won the series. The message at the break was just to be patient and stick to our plans. One ball remained and Stokes decided to explore the legside this time. This was beyond Roy of the Rovers. Writers struggle to find enough adjectives for accounts of this innings. The main reason to have the meeting the next day was to review what had happened the day before. This must have felt claustrophobic for Stokes. Stats: The numbers behind the Stokes-Sibley marathon. Leach’s first run in the partnership had levelled the scores. Hardly surprising. Even though Stokes farmed the strike superbly, Leach – whose career average of 11 matches his position in the batting order – still had to face 17 balls for an invaluable one not out. Gradually, after hours of abstinence, Stokes began to find the odd boundary. With due respect to Tim Murtagh and co, we all know which innings he will cherish the most. Ben Stokes was batting very well, but we still all believed we could win." As the 10th-wicket partnership between Stokes and Jack Leach was playing out, was the plan to go after Leach or get rid of Stokes? But having made 92 as nightwatchman in a Test against Ireland at Lord's last month, Leach hung in for an hour. We also felt that Stokes could’ve easily hit one straight up in the air or made some sort of mistake, which he did, but unfortunately we didn’t take the opportunity. After that it was relatively plain sailing. Now my opportunity has come about so I'm trying to make the most of it.". Through Leach’s doughtiness and Stokes’s impudent hitting, England had whittled that target of 73 down to just two. Upon reaching his 100, the best of his career (he will have to live with that knowledge now – and it was far better than his 258 in Cape Town), he did not celebrate. In came Cummins again; Stokes crashed the ball to the cover boundary and the most amazing Test match of all was over. His only real scare came when, with two needed to win, he nearly ran himself out only for Nathan Lyon to fail to gather a return when Leach was metres short of his ground. Leach would have likely been watching the Headingley match on television too had not rival spinner Moeen Ali been dropped after a woeful display in the series opener at Edgbaston. The last-wicket partnership – somehow unbroken – between Jack Leach and Stokes was worth 76. Justin Langer wanted you all to sit down the next morning and watch the final moments on replay. "Ben Stokes was at the centre of that as well. He was just unbelievable.". The third ball from Lyon was fuller and Stokes swung. Ben Stokes struck eight sixes and 11 fours in a memorable unbeaten 135 that will go down as one of the greatest knocks in Test cricket. Here are some of his amazing stats from the game. Ben Stokes hailed batting partner Jack Leach after they put on a 10th-wicket partnership of 76 to seal the most unlikely Test victory and keep the Ashes series alive. So, too, the World Cup final in July, as Ian Botham’s incredible exploits of 38 years ago have been matched, maybe surpassed. Stokes was on strike with eight runs needed for victory. RELATED| At lunch England, on 238 for four, might have been favourites, though this realisation did not seem to do them much good. With World Cup-winning leg-spinner Adil Rashid injured, Leach suddenly found himself unexpectedly thrust back into the Test side. But on a day like this who cares about rankings anyway? © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Jack Leach put his cult hero status down to looking like a "village cricketer" after his key supporting role enabled Ben Stokes to steer England to a staggering victory in the third Ashes Test. by Wisden Staff July 17, 2020 - 4:51pm 2 minute read. Chris Woakes, mindful that a bouncer barrage was on its way, was lodged on the back foot when driving at a rare full ball and caught at mid-off. But beyond the figures was astounding melodrama and we have to start near the end. But to his credit, Leach batted pretty well as well. 135 not out off 219 balls (330 mins, 11x4’s, 8x6’s) 3 runs off first 73 balls . ", Leach, whose tail-end resistance has seen him offered free glasses for life by series sponsors Specsavers in a response to a suggestion on Twitter from Stokes, added: "I'm just enjoying playing for England. I think, in hindsight, it was a good thing for us to sit through it straightaway the next day so that we could deal with what had just happened and put it to bed. He cut the first two deliveries to distant fielders and declined to run, following the pattern of an already a stunning partnership. Jofra Archer swished three boundaries but was then well caught in the deep by Head and Stuart Broad was palpably lbw to his second delivery. Stokes finished, most definitely unbeaten, on 135, which included eight sixes; he had 61 when Leach made his way to the crease. Ah well. Slow but mightily steady, Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes’ partnership on days one and two of England’s second Test against West Indies was music to the ears of the hosts. But I think it was just one of those days where it doesn’t go your way. Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner. Perhaps one or two despondent punters opted to beat the traffic at this point. The subsequent replay demonstrated that Stokes would have been out if it had been possible to review the decision. At long-off Marnus Labuschagne circled; at the bowler’s end Lyon squinted towards the boundary, urging the ball to stay in play. A half-chance flew to Marcus Harris at third man but he could not quite cling on as he dived forward. The 50 partnership was posted inside 10 overs and as if in celebration Stokes lifted a legside delivery from Cummins into the stands. As an Australian, (to win) the Ashes in England is as big as it gets for us, so to be a part of that was great. Meanwhile, Leach ostensibly remained calm, despite the fact that his glasses kept steaming up. Amid the jubilation Leach could ponder that he had now won two matches for England with the bat in the surreal summer of 2019: 92 against Ireland, one not out against Australia. "Maybe people think 'that could be me' because all the others look pretty professional. When Leach came into bat, it seemed England's chances of a win had evaporated.

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