Ben Stokes: Trent Bridge win was better than World Cup and Headingley heroics

England captain Ben Stokes claimed the feeling of elation as he and Jonny Bairstow conjured one of the most outrageous chases in Test history was even better than his Ashes miracle at Headingley or his World Cup final heroics.

New Zealand were in control after posting a huge first-innings score of 553 in the second LV= Insurance Test at Trent Bridge, but left the field on day five battered and bruised after England roared to a truly remarkable five-wicket victory.

England had left themselves needing 299 in 72 overs and looked to be coming unstuck when Stokes and Bairstow came together at 93 for four.

What followed was a counter-attacking blitz to rival anything that has come before, with Bairstow unloading a 77-ball century and finishing with 136 in 92 balls.

He shared a stunning stand of 179 with Stokes, who went on to wrap up the result – and the series – with an unbeaten 75 from 70 deliveries.

Incredibly, he hit the winning runs off the last ball of the 50th over having turned a tense situation into a walkover.

Stokes knows better than anyone what it is like to be in the thick of a history-making performance, having dragged England over the line in nerve-shredding fashion in the 2019 World Cup final and then led a record red-ball chase against Australia just a few weeks later in Leeds.

And for him, this was the best yet.

“Yes, it is. That blows away Headingley, it blows away Lord’s and the World Cup final. It was incredible,” he said.

“I’m struggling to find the words for what we witnessed out there, it was just phenomenal. I just can’t quite wrap my head around how we’ve chased 299 with 22 overs left on day five of the Test match when we had to bowl 15 overs this morning.

“That is never going to happen again, but if