Ben Stokes has moved into one of Test cricket’s smallest all-rounder clubs after England’s captain dragged the Trent Bridge decider back towards his side.
Stokes became only the second player, after South Africa great Jacques Kallis, to combine 7,000-plus Test runs with 250 Test wickets. The landmark arrived during England’s third Test against New Zealand, where The Guardian reported that Stokes finished New Zealand’s first innings with four for 70, including a pre-lunch burst of three for 13.
Stokes turns endurance into control
The milestone mattered because of the match state. New Zealand had been 317 without loss before England forced 10 wickets for 121, with Stokes central to the squeeze. Cricbuzz’s live scorecard had England 223 for two at stumps on day two, 215 behind, after Ben Duckett’s 113 and Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 74 shifted the tempo again.
For England, the wider significance is obvious. Stokes’ bowling load has become more than a leadership symbol; it is now a tactical route back into flat-pitch Tests. The Kallis comparison also sharpens the scale of his value: runs, wickets and selection balance, all carried by the same cricketer. That is why this milestone lands with weight, coming immediately after ReadCricket’s earlier look at how the Stokes burst and Duckett century changed the Trent Bridge decider.
