OTD | England captain Ben Stokes recorded the most sixes in County Championship innings during his knock of 166 in 88 balls in 2022

Ben Stokes is one of the finest all-rounders of the modern era across formats. He is a clutch player who can change the course of the game single-handedly no matter how difficult the situation is. The explosive cricketer, who currently captains England in red-ball cricket, has brought about a revolution in the format.

Under the leadership of Stokes and the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum, England adopted an aggressive approach to Test cricket, better known as ‘Bazball’. A week after being named the captain of the team, Stokes showed the world what their new strategy is all about. On May 6, 2022, the southpaw scripted a six-hitting history in a County Championship match.

The then newly appointed Test captain smashed 161 off 88 balls for Durham against Worcestershire in an innings that included a record 17 sixes. He went past Darren Stevens who had previously held the record with 15 sixes for Kent against Glamorgan in the 2021 season. His breathtaking knock also included five sixes in an over. 

Stokes reached his half-century in 47 balls but needed just 17 more balls to complete the next 50. His ruthless hitting helped Durham declare their innings on 580/6. 

“It was good fun. I think the game got set up very nicely by our top-five (batters). I just had to play the situation and then, once we got our last batting point, it was about trying to get as many runs as we could,” said Stokes after his innings.

“There are records you don’t know (17 sixes), and people bring them up. You don’t play the game for stuff like that,” added Stokes. 

The 32-year-old underwent knee surgery after the ODI World Cup in India and later confirmed that he will skip the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) to manage his workload. Stokes will also not be part of the England squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June as he has decided to allow his body to rest.