Ben Stokes“The international career will be remembered for countless match-winning performances, World Cup glory and unforgettable Ashes heroics. However, among his many achievements, the England all-rounder achieved a very unique Test record that underlines the versatility he brought to the game.
Ben Stokes unique statistics
Stokes, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, remains the only player in Test history to have both batted in all 11 batting positions and dismissed batsmen occupying all 11 positions in the batting order. He is also widely regarded as the only cricketer to have caught a ball from all 11 batting positions in Test cricket, although TimesofIndia.com was unable to independently verify this statistic.It’s a statistical rarity that reflects the extraordinary role he played in his 15-year international career. Whether it was opening the bat, saving the middle order or completing an innings lower down the order, Stokes would answer England’s call whenever required. With the ball, he also picked up wickets in every batting position, underscoring his value as a true all-rounder.The 35-year-old recently called time on his international career after the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. His journey to England began in 2011 and he has made over 250 appearances across different formats.His retirement closes a chapter on one of England’s greatest modern cricketers. Stokes played a decisive role in two of England’s most iconic wins in 2019, first an unbeaten 84 in the dramatic ODI World Cup final against New Zealand and then an unbeaten 135 against Australia at Headingley to keep England’s Ashes hopes alive.He also scored a career-high Test score of 258 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016 and became one of only two players in Test history to complete a remarkable double of over 7,000 runs and 250 wickets. The only cricketer to achieve this feat is Jacques Callis.Stokes also redefined aggressive batting in the longest format, finishing with 138 sixes, the most by a batsman in Test cricket. He is one of only three batsmen to hit more than 100 sixes in this format.He retired shortly after sparking controversy off the pitch following England’s first win over New Zealand. Stokes and Gus Atkinson were initially ruled out of the second Test after breaching the team’s midnight curfew during an investigation into an incident at a London nightclub.Cricket’s governing body later found there was insufficient evidence of any breach of the ECB’s cricket rules and cleared both players of any regulatory breaches. The ECB confirmed Stokes was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident, while Atkinson was the victim of an unprovoked attack. However, both players received written warnings for breaching contractual standards of conduct and their absence from the second Test was deemed sufficient sanction.While statistics only reflect part of Stokes’ legacy, his unique place in the Test record books is yet another reminder of how adaptable and influential he was. Few players can impact the game in so many different ways, and none can combine batting versatility with wicket-taking at every batting position like Ben Stokes.
