Ben Stokes did something unprecedented during the first Test between England and New Zealand.
Ben Stokes, an all-rounder and the captain of the England Test team broke a record on Saturday when he hit Brendon McCullum of New Zealand for the most sixes in Test cricket history. In the first Test match between England and New Zealand, he achieved the landmark at Mount Maunganui. It was on day three of the Test match, in the 49th over of his side’s second innings, bowled by New Zealand’s Scott Kuggeleijn, that Stokes hit the third ball for a six over fine leg to become the leading six-hitter in the longer format, passing McCullum, who is interestingly now England’s Test head coach.
Stokes is a better version of McCullum in any situation.
The captain has now hit more sixes than the captain of the opposing team in a single Test match, a record that will go down in history (pic. twitter.com/IgPTeahU5D)
BT Sport’s cricket coverage (@btsportcricket) On this day in 2023:
Stokes scored an entertaining 31 runs off of 33 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) before being bowled by all-rounder Michael Bracewell, with the help of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, who stumped the batter.
Stokes has scored 5,652 runs (12 tonnes, 28 fifty-plus scores, and an average of 36.00) with 109 sixes in 90 Test matches. There was a format where he excelled, and he scored 258.
McCullum, on the other side, had 107 sixes in just 101 matches. He scored 6,453 times, an average of 38.64 per game. In the extended format, his greatest score is 302, and he has 12 hundred and 31 fifties.
The match has progressed to the point where England is in the midst of their second innings and has a lead of 355 runs. Current status: 336/8
England established an insurmountable lead thanks to half-centuries from Joe Root (57), Harry Brook (54), and wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes (51).
The Kiwis’ first innings total of 306 was the lowest ever. After being reduced to 83/5, Devon Conway (77) and Tom Blundell (138 runs off 181 balls) put on 85 runs for the sixth wicket. Blundell scored a century while also playing wicketkeeper in a pink-ball Test match. Very helpful for the New Zealanders were knocks from Neil Wagner (27) and Kuggeleijn (20).
After 19 overs, Ollie Robinson had collected 4/54. In 16.5 overs, James Anderson had 3 wickets and 36 runs. One wicket was taken by each Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes, and Jack Leach.
As a result of their first innings performance, New Zealand trailed behind by 19 runs. England’s first innings was declared when they reached 325-9 after 58.2 overs. The visitors’ success was greatly aided by half-centuries from Brook (89) and Ben Duckett (84). Foakes (38) and Ollie Pope (42) contributed important knocks in the opening innings.
Among New Zealand’s first-innings bowlers, Wagner was the most effective, taking 4/82 in 16.2 overs. Kuggeleijn and Skipper Tim Southee both took two wickets. Tickner took one wicket.
