Stokes to push Bazball to limit as England look to beat rain in Ashes decider
Angel of the north Ben Stokes says England will be ready to party like it's 2005 if they can take the Ashes to fever pitch over the next five days.
Stokes warned his side will have to unfurl even more Bazball party tricks to beat the weather, win the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford and take the series to a decider at The Oval next week. The England captain admitted he was "a bit devastated" that this will be the last Ashes Test north of the Trent until 2031.
But Stokes believes the nation will catch the wave - like the iconic series 18 years ago - if England back up their thrilling three-wicket win at Headingley with their first success against Australia in Manchester since 1981.
He said: "Right now we are focusing only on winning this game and going to The Oval 2-2, but if that does happen it would be hard not to say this is the best men's Ashes series in a long time, if not the best.
"I hope this craze around cricket doesn't get lost if things don't go our way - and we won't be changing our ideas or ethos when me and Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) are still responsible for leading the team.
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"Everything is on the line – the team knows there is no point in holding anything back in this game. Everyone is going to go out there this week and throw absolutely everything at it.
"Going into the last game 2-0 down, we knew we had to win so that I think that helped us a little bit. And with the weather that's predicted, it might bring more out of us again, knowing we might have to push the game on even more than we normally do.”
Stokes registered his displeasure that none of the 2027 Ashes Tests will be played at Headingley, Old Trafford or Durham, with English cricket's northern powerhouse overlooked in favour of Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and the Ageas Bowl.
Stokes has raised hopes he could bowl at Old Trafford after doing so in the netsDo you think England will win at Old Trafford? Let us know in the comments below!
The lopsided allocation of matches has caused an outcry, and Stokes admitted: "I think we perform well in the north, especially at Headingley, and I'm a bit devastated there won't be Ashes cricket here in 2027 in the north.
"I don't make those calls but, if I was involved, I would have said, 'Please keep at least one game in the north.' It's a shame."
With rain threatening to disrupt play at Old Trafford - the forecast for Saturday is especially grim - Stokes will try and buy enough time to force a win by resorting to funky game plans.
He said: "We always try to be creative, but the way in which we play will force the game anyway. There might have to be a few tactical decisions to make if there was, say, 100 overs lost to the weather, we might have to look at pressing the game on quicker than we normally would."
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