Birthday Special: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes celebrates his 30th birthday with a look back at his greatest achievements.

🔻Ben Stokes, arguably the finest all-rounder in modern cricket, turns 30 this year. Stokes, an attacking left-handed batsman and a useful fast bowler, has aided England in some stunning victories across formats. His undefeated 135 in the Headingley Test (Ashes 2019) is considered one of the great Test runs-chase knocks ever. Let's take a look at some of Stokes' most notable achievements

🔻Stokes' international cricket career 

Stokes has 4,631 runs from 71 Tests in a career that spans over a decade. He also has ten tonnes and twenty-four fifties. Stokes has scored 2,817 runs in ODIs and 442 runs in T20Is. Stokes has 163 Test wickets to his name, with an eight-wicket haul in his greatest match. In white-ball cricket, he has taken a total of 93 wickets.

🔻Stokes' heroics were instrumental in England's World Cup victory in 2019. 

In 2019, England won their first 50-over World Cup. 

Stokes was the mastermind behind this historic achievement (465 runs). 

In the final, he was unbeaten with an 84.

England's Super Over victory drew praise. Stokes scored a fifty, took two wickets, and took two catches in the league match against South Africa. He became the fifth player in WC history to reach this milestone.

🔻Headingley's classic is a must-have! 

England's highest-ever run-chase in Test history (362/9 at Headingley) came just over a month after they won the World Cup. 

England had dropped to 286/9 in their pursuit of 359 points. Stokes and Jack Leach then put on a 76-run partnership to propel England to victory.

In a fourth-innings win, the star all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 135, the third-highest score for England (after Mark Butcher and Jack Brown).

🔻Most runs scored in a Test innings (at number six) 

Stokes slammed an incredible 258 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016. (his highest Test score).  There were 30 fours and 11 sixes in the 198-ball innings. This is the highest Test score by a number six batsman to date. Doug Walters (250), Don Bradman (234), MS Dhoni (224), and AB de Villiers (217*) round out the top five.

🔻Fact: Has the joint-second-highest number of sixes in a Test innings. 

Stokes hit a total of 11 sixes in Cape Town. Along with Nathan Astle, Matthew Hayden, and Brendon McCullum, he has the joint-second most sixes in a Test innings (twice). Wasim Akram, who smashed 12 sixes in 1996, leads the list.

🔻Records: Stokes owns a number of other records. 

Stokes became only the second cricketer after Ian Botham to score 4,000 runs and take 100 wickets for England in 2020. After Jacques Kallis, Garfield Sobers, Ian Botham, and Ravi Shastri, he is the only player in the format to score 10 centuries and take 150 wickets. Stokes also holds the record for the fastest fifty by an England opener in a Test match (36 balls).