Talisman Stokes at Edgbaston evokes Flintoff’s 2005 impact – but he is due a score
A day out from the second Test against India at Edgbaston and Andrew Flintoff was dog-sticking to England’s batters in the nets, his very presence bringing memories of 20 years ago flooding back.It was here where Flintoff wrote his name into Ashes folklore, igniting the afterburners for England’s statement first innings, rescuing the second with a six-laden counterattack, and then sending down a famous over on the third evening that vaporised Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting.As well as driving England to that famous two-run victory, 141 runs and seven wickets across the four days made it Flintoff’s statistical peak as a fast-bowling all-rounder – the only time he went north of 100 runs and five wickets in the same Test.People often underestimate the physical and mental demands that the dual role places on those hardy enough to even attempt it; expecting both facets of their game to deliver consistently is unrealistic save for a handful of freakish greats.All of which is a segue into where Ben Stokes finds himself before this second instalment against India, albeit 1-0 up and buoyed by last week’s Headingley heist.
With everything crossed and wood being touched, the hamstring surgery at the start of the year can be deemed a success.This summer – albeit across a small sample size of two Tests – the 34-year-old has been England’s most potent bowler.His pace is up, good movement has been extracted from a couple of flat surfaces, and taking eight wickets at 20 apiece has made for an invaluable return from a fourth seamer.Stokes is now two wickets away from overtaking Flintoff’s 219 in Test cricket, after which only Ian Botham’s tally of 383 sits higher among English all-rounders.And while Stokes has taken a bit longer to get here – 112 caps won compared with Flintoff’s 78 – he has long since scorched past him with the bat, 13 hundreds to the Lancastrian’s five, 6,781 Test runs to his 3,845.
Add dynamism in the field – Flintoff’s bucket hands at slip notwithstanding – plus his aptitude as captain and it is fair to say Stokes has gone past the all-rounder he says he looked up to as a kid.But while the bowler of old has seemingly been restored of late, Stokes the batter has been light on impact for a little while now.The 155 that he ransacked on that febrile final day at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes – an innings powered in part by indignation over the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey – is his most recent Test century.A run of 31 innings in the two years since has just become the longest three-figure drought of his England career.None of which is to question Stokes’ centrality to a team that live and breathe his every word – not least given the earlier point about sustaining all-round returns, though it is fair to say he’s due a score.
It may simply be that Stokes has instinctively moved to bolster the area where the team need him most.The bowling attack has suffered a significant drop-off in experience since the retirements of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, hard-working though it is, whereas the top seven are beginning truly to blossom around the enduring, unflappable class of Joe Root.Edgbaston, 2-6 JulyEngland (confirmed) Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (possible) Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh KrishnaThe mystery of whether they will face Jasprit Bumrah in this second Test felt no closer to being solved a day out from the toss, with the captain, Shubman Gill, the latest from the India camp to grapple with the mental gymnastics of his prized asset’s predetermined workload.At 1-0 down and after a week’s break, it feels like a no-brainer for India, but the decision will apparently be made as late as possible.Save for a couple of dismissals that left his jaw on the ground, Stokes has an excellent head-to-head record against Bumrah, averaging 58.
5 from 11 Test encounters.On a personal level, he should be relaxed either way.Sign up to The SpinSubscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s actionafter newsletter promotionInstead, the chief concern against India for Stokes over the years has been the spinners, with the now retired Ravichandran Ashwin claiming his wicket 13 times from 17 Tests and Ravindra Jadeja making it seven from 14 in Leeds.Against Kuldeep Yadav he averages just six runs for his three dismissals and that battle may be about to resume.On a dry surface that is expected to produce runs, the left-arm wrist-spinner would ask fresh questions of England as a whole, even if Washington Sundar’s greater prowess with the bat may yet mean he gets the nod.
One thing that can be guaranteed is that Edgbaston and Birmingham’s Manhattan-esque skyline will deliver a mighty backdrop for the match, the ground sold out for the first four days and the Hollies Stand no doubt set to be in full voice.A week on from folks leaving Headingley slightly baffled by the ground’s exclusion from the 2027 Ashes, it is worth noting that Edgbaston will be frozen out four years later.Think back to Flintoff’s herculean all-round feats here 20 years ago, or some of the famous Test battles since, and the situation is no less frustrating.
From mochi ice cream to strawberry sandos, Japanese sweet treats are tickling UK tastebuds
If you said to a friend that you fancied Japanese food this weekend, they might be forgiven for thinking you meant sushi. But lately a new culinary export from Japan is catching up with fish and rice in the hearts and tastebuds of British foodies.Soft, sweet and full of character, Japanese-style desserts – from mochi ice cream to matcha cookies – have been steadily gaining ground on UK shelves.Such is their popularity, M&S has launched its own take on the strawberry sando, a Japanese convenience store favourite, a sandwich made with soft milk bread, whipped cream and neatly layered fruit.According to some industry commentators, British retailers are taking note of consumers’ growing appetite for “joyful” sweet treats as a simple pleasure to brighten their days
My Glastonbury food odyssey: 10 of the best dishes – whether you’re feeling hungover or healthy
From vegan katsu curry to smoked barbecue brisket, the festival has an incredible array of street food. Here are the stalls worth queueing forThe food choices at Glastonbury can feel overwhelming – a smorgasbord of street food from around the world, which can trigger terrible choice paralysis when you’re operating with a hangover, on zero sleep, or both. Fear not. Here are some guaranteed Glastonbury food wins, whether you’re looking to stave off the mother of all hangovers or simply on the hunt for something green.South of the Pyramid stageA massaman curry served on brown rice (£14), this is loaded with nutritious ingredients, including greens, kimchi pickles and new potatoes
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for bubble tea ice-cream sundaes | The sweet spot
I absolutely adore bubble tea: it’s such a fun drink. I find it impossible to be anywhere near Chinatown in London without ordering one, and the brown sugar milk tea flavour is my go-to. The “bubble” refers to the balls of tapioca that are cooked until chewy, a texture I find so pleasing; if you like mochi, this will be right up your street.You should be able to find quick-cook tapioca pearls in most large Asian supermarkets; I tend to avoid the plain white tapioca pearls because they can take more than an hour to cook.Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Serves 4150g quick-cook brown sugar tapioca 100g light brown sugar 2 English breakfast tea bags 100ml double cream ½ tsp flaky sea salt 8 scoops vanilla ice-cream Chocolate sprinkles or shavings, to serveBring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the tapioca pearls and cook for three to four minutes, until they’ve got a chew to them but are still a little firm
Summer calls for chilled red wine
Last week’s column was a casual toe-dip into the lido of summer-centric drinks writing. I write these columns just over two weeks in advance, so I need Met Office/clairvoyant weather prediction skills to work out what it is we’re likely to be drinking by the time the column comes out. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare that summer will be here when you read this. No, don’t look out of the window. Keep looking at your phone screen, and imagine the sun’s beating down outside
‘I don’t have rules’: cooks on making perfect porridge at home
The cookbook author Elizabeth Hewson cherishes her winter breakfast routine. She creeps downstairs before sunrise, while her husband and children are still sleeping, to make herself a bubbling pot of porridge.“It’s that small moment of peace before the day gets going,” she says. “The rhythm of standing at the stove stirring is one of those quiet rituals that I love.”She makes it with traditional oats, usually toasted dry then soaked in water overnight
How to turn the whole carrot, from leaf to root, into a Moroccan-spiced stew – recipe | Waste not
Today’s warming recipe makes a hero of the whole carrot from root to leaf, and sits somewhere between a roast and a stew. The lush green tops are turned into a punchy chermoula that is stirred into the sauce and used as a garnish.One image has stayed with me ever since a journey through a small Moroccan village near Taghazout, just west of Marrakech, all of 12 years ago. Bright orange carrots lay in vast heaps on contrasting blue tarpaulin spread across the ground. I was especially struck by how the vast majority of each pile was green with the feathery foliage that was still attached to the roots we love
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