SOUTHAMPTON: England all-rounder and stand-in captain Ben Stokes became the second-fastest all-rounder to reach the milestone of 4000 test runs and 150 test wickets.
The New Zealand-born cricketer joined the elite list of cricketers during the third day of the first test match between England and West Indies.
West Indies’s Alzarri Joseph, who was clean bowled, was Stokes’s 150th Test wicket and with his dismissal, the all-rounder became only the sixth player to score over 4000 runs and take 150 wickets in Test cricket.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) congratulated Stokes by mentioning his name along with the greats in the list.
Ben Stokes clean bowls Alzarri Joseph he now has 150 Test wickets! ???? #ENGvWI SCORECARD ▶️ https://t.co/J9IrapSl4x pic.twitter.com/8BgMEySYOp
— ICC (@ICC) July 10, 2020
West Indies Gary Sobers, former South African cricketer Jacques Kallis, India’s Kapil Dev, and ex-New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori are also on the list. Gary Sobers took 63 Tests to reach the milestone, while Stokes completed the feat in 64 Tests.
Stand-in captain had put England on the back foot by choosing to bat first in ideal bowling conditions. However, he limited the damage on day three by picking four wickets. He finished with the figures of 4-49 in his 14 overs.
The ongoing test between England and West Indies is the first international cricket match after a 117-day absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-match series is being played without fans in a bio-secure environment.
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