Stokes flays Australia with 155 but can’t quite lead England over the line at Lord’s

By FOSTER NIUMATA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Nobody embraces an Ashes mission impossible like Ben Stokes. The England captain started the last day of the second test against Australia with his side four down and a distant 257 runs from victory at Lord’s. He was on 29 overnight and cruised untroubled in the morning. But when Australia’s smart dismissal of Jonny Bairstow left Stokes as England’s last recognized batsman, he flipped a switch. He had England 70 runs from victory when he fell for 155, the last 93 from 52 balls. His third century in the fourth innings of a men’s Ashes test tied him for the most with Don Bradman and Bert Sutcliffe. Australia’s own master batter Steve Smith says, “He’s a freak.”