When it comes to crunch matches against New Zealand, there is only one man who England and their fans will always put total faith in… Ben Stokes.
The talisman all rounder has shown that he is made for situations like this, and even though he hasn’t produced his best with the bat yet this winter, and although he hasn’t trained since Thursday, the expectation remains high.
While his team-mates were busy putting the finishing touches to their preparations in the nets at the nearby Allan Border field, Stokes made a delayed entrance to the ground and then only to perambulate around the boundary edge in conversation with the team doctor.
Stokes has been carrying a left knee problem for more than a year, that comes and goes according to the 32-year-old, sometimes ‘locking up’ when he bowls. He often looks in agony, only to return to his mark and come charging in once more to help his team in any way he can.
During this tournament though it doesn’t appear to have gone at all, and he has had it more heavily strapped in between matches. The England camp were at pains to point out that he is fully fit and available to play a full part in taking on the Kiwis though, and with that being the case, the belief he will deliver another match-winning display is strong.
"I guess the one person that you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes,” said assistant coach Paul Collingwood. "We all know what he's capable of, and not just match-winning innings, but match-winning innings under serious amounts of pressure.
“I know that if it comes down to the crunch that you want a man like Ben Stokes walking out. Not just what he gives with the bat, the options with the ball, and the skill level he brings into the field, as well. You've got to remember, he's an allrounder, so it's not always just the runs that he makes, but it's everything else that he gives.
“But I'm pretty confident there's an innings just around the corner, and now we're coming into the crucial part of the World Cup, and it's almost a knockout stage for us. It's a must-win game. You always see Ben come to the fore in those situations.”
As the only England captain to have lifted a T20 World Cup and been a part of the 2019 World Cup win as a coach, Collingwood understands better than most what pressure cricket is about. England tripped and fell out of their group in 2010, but from that point on grew stronger and stronger until they captured the trophy against Australia in Barbados.
Collingwood has often described that team as a juggernaut that couldn’t be stopped, and he is hoping to see this England side get into a similar rhythm, starting at the Gabba.
“There's a lot of excitement around because we know if we get it right in the next four games then we've got an opportunity to win a World Cup,” he added. “This is why we play the game. These are the positions that you want to be in. Hopefully we kick-start our momentum in Brisbane.”
