Durham’s Ben Stokes has been named one of the five Wisdom Cricketers of the Year after a string of match-changing performances.
Stokes is one of two England players to be rewarded by Wisdom alongside Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow’s whose unbeaten 83 off 60 balls against New Zealand in the deciding one-day international at Durham carried England home.
Now a proven performer on the biggerst stage, Stokes made his Test debut at the age of 22 and lit up Lord’s with a man-of-the-match display against New Zealand last May, scoring 92 off 94 balls.
The 24-year-old is now indispensable to England and he has sealed his place as the side’s premium all-rounder. His diving slip catch on the first morning at Nottingham to see off Australia’s Adam Voges was the individual moment of the summer; on the second evening he took six for 36, again showing his importance with the ball.
In January 2016, Stokes belted 258 rom 198 balls against South Africa at Cape Town, an innings described by Lawrence Booth, the Wisden editor as “the longest act of wanton violence by an England batsman in any format.”
More recently, Stokes was a key part of England’s recent success at the ICC WorldTwenty20 in India and will be available for Durham’s second Specsavers County Championship against Middlesex at the Emirates Riverside.
Australia captain Steve Smith and two New Zealanders, Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, make up this year’s winners.