Ben Stokes leads England to a sensational one-wicket victory over Australia to tie The Ashes series
ADVERTISEMENTBen Stokes led England to a thrilling third test victory with a superb individual performance, hitting 135 not out to eclipse his recent World Cup heroics.
In Friday's test, England were all out for 67 and any hopes of an Ashes victory looked bleak.
Australia set England a huge total of 359 runs to win, anything less than a victory in the third test and Australia would have retained The Ashes.
Stokes hit eight sixes and eleven fours to lay claim to one of the best innings of all time.
Australia had a few chances to snatch a famous win of their own. Nathan Lyon dropped a throw at the bowler’s end when a clean catch would have allowed him to easily run out England's last man Jack Leach.
If they had used their reviews wiser Australia may have had Stokes out earlier, as he aimed a big shot at the following ball, originally given not out by the umpire. Replays showed it would have in fact been out.
It seemed a daunting task; the partners came and went. Joss Butler and Chris Woakes only mustered one run each, Joffra Archer pitched in with a useful 15.
England looked all but finished when Stuart Broad was the ninth man down on 286, leaving England 73 adrift of victory.
However, Stokes stayed on the crease, showing immense determination to keep on finding the boundary.
Stokes sealed a historic victory when he whacked a Pat Cummins delivery for four.
This was England's highest successful fourth-innings chase and the tenth highest in Test history.
This leaves the series finely poised at 1-1 going into the fourth Test at Old Trafford that starts on September 4th.