Watch: Ben Stokes' incredible six-saving act near the ropes in Canberra

The premier England allrounder once again showcased his fielding brilliance near the ropes during the second T20I against Australia. 
 By Kashish Chadha Oct 12, 2022, 17:15 IST
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Ben Stokes made an excellent feast of a six-saving attempt at the boundary ropes of the Manuka Oval against the Aussies. 

Ben Stokes' comeback to the T20I arena may not have been fruitful with the bat so far but the allrounder remains a pivotal figure in the field for England. If not with the bat, Stokes continues to make his presence felt via his brilliance in the outfield. 

A telling example of the cricketer's passion for the game and his athleticism came during the second T20I of the ongoing series versus Australia on Wednesday (October 12). 

Fielding in the deep at Canberra, Stokes pulled off an acrobatic save that helped England avoid what looked like a certain six from the bat of Australian hard-hitting allrounder Mitchell Marsh. 

Taking on left-arm pacer Sam Curran, Marsh unveiled his beautiful downswing and found optimum connection on his uppish drive towards the long-off region. Placed there, Ben Stokes, however, ensured that the ball would still not make the boundary ropes and Marsh had to settle for only 2 runs. 

Ben Stokes' super six-saving act 

The incident is from the first ball of the 12th over in the Australian second-innings batting effort. Chasing England's 178/7, the hosts found themselves 88/3 after 11 overs, in need of some boundaries to pick up a gear and put the pressure back on the visitors. 

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Marsh decided to take the onus on himself for the task and dispatched a full-pitched delivery from Curran for what was shaping up to be a maximum towards the long-off region. But to his disappointment, Ben Stokes almost took a jaw-dropping catch at the ropes. 

The cricketer made a grab at it, but recognising in a split-second that he is about to fall beyond the boundary line, he instantly threw the ball back inside the playing arena. That effort looked stunning under lights and ensured that England could save four runs despite Marsh finding the meaty part of his willow to Curran's ball. 

The fielding effort would've personally pleased Stokes a lot, especially after he missed out with the bat in hand. The left-hander made only 7 off 11 balls, having earlier failed in the first T20I at Perth as well. He will be hoping to find his best mojo soon as England strive to reclaim the T20 World Cup title in Australia. 


 
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