#124

Butter wouldn’t melt.

#126

Snorter to win it too. Lovely stuff!

#127

Stokes is a freak of nature. Remarkable sportsman.

#128

image

#129

Buttler.

#130

Lost a bit for words here tbh…

2 Likes
#131

Proper, proper test cricket there, really gutsy victory especially with Anderson not being fit.

I wonder if this might finally be it for Jimmy. This isn’t the first time recently that he’s pulled up lame during a match. He’s still got it, no doubt about that, but if he can’t stay fit during a match it’s a worry and it could have cost us today (notwithstanding getting 5-40 in the first innings). We have fast bowling reserves now too. Not that Mark Wood is necessarily the benchmark for fitness.

Hopefully I’m completely wrong and he’s got another 100 test wickets in the tank.

3 Likes
#132

Test cricket is just the absolute best isn’t it

7 Likes
#134

Motm

  • Sibley
  • Stokes

0 voters

#135

117 runs, three vital wickets, record catches in an innings for an outfielder. He’s a one man cricket match.

1 Like
#136

There was a lovely stat on TMS live text showing the age of the team when Jimmy got his first Test 5 fer. Quite a few of them were 4 or 5 years old. What a champion.

2 Likes
#137

19 of the 20 wickets England took were out caught, and only 3 of those were wicket keeper catches

#138

Sibley made Stokes’ achievements possible by defying the odds and batting like a decent opener. You can’t build your penthouse without foundations. Stokes is a matchwinner with that confidence behind him - Sibley doesn’t have the benefit of that to work with. No disrespect to Stokes.

#139

I genuinely thought he’d retire at the end of last summer

1 Like
#140
2 Likes
#141

In the history of sport, team and individual, there can’t be many sportsmen/women who’ve had a year which matches Ben Stokes’ 2019 surely?

Literally remembered mid-sentence it’s 2020, but the series started last year and i’m rolling with it.

#142

Went through the SPOTY winners for a quick (British only) comparison. I think there’s really only Jonny Wilkinson’s 2003 that compares as an individual in a team (standout player in a world cup winning team in Australia), and Andy Murray’s 2016 (world number one, 3 grand slam finals including winning Wimbledon, Olympic gold medal, won the ATP finals, taking out historically good competition on the way) for an individual. I think Murray wins overall, even as a cricket fan.

Some genuinely shonky winners though - Damon Hill for winning one WC in clearly the best car? Greg Rusedski for being OK at tennis compared to our non-Canadians? Zara Phillips for riding a horsey?

#143

Giggs won it for being old

#144

Messi has never been overseas SPOTY.

#146

Both very silly.