WATCH: Nathan Lyon takes just 8 balls to eliminate Ben Stokes in County Championship Division One 2024
In a thrilling contest that once again dominated the Ashes rivalry, the Australian spinner Nathan Lyon he showed his bravery by removing the England captain Ben Stokes in this ongoing County Championship Division One. Lyon, who represent Lancashire, got the wicket of Stokes on the second day of the match against Durham.
Ben Stokes’ struggle against the Lancashire bowlers
In the first innings, Stokes found it a challenge to concentrate his innings as the Lancashire bowlers maintained a straight line and length. After facing 16 deliveries and scoring just two runs, Stokes was tempted to the outside edge by Lyon, bringing his stay at the crease to an abrupt end. This marked the 10th time Lyon had dismissed Stokes in red-ball cricket, a testament to their competitiveness on the field.
Nathan Lyon dismisses Stokes
Lyon’s delivery, which showed his signature control, disturbed Stokes’ often erratic footwork. The resulting edge is cleverly held Tom Bruce at second slip, a short but intense eight-ball match between two of cricket’s greats is concluded. The moment was captured on video and quickly went viral among cricket fans.
Here is the video:
The battle between Nathan Lyon and Ben Stokes was won by the Australian in this event.
It took Lyon just eight runs to dismiss Stokes in a thrilling mini-contest. pic.twitter.com/yb71knEA1G
– Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 18, 2024
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Lancashire’s bowling ability
Lyon’s spell was the highlight of the game, with figures of 4/59. However, it was Tom Aspinwall winner, claiming his first five-wicket haul with 5/41, which played a key role in restricting Durham to 236 runs. Durham’s innings was bolstered by David Bedingham, who scored a solid 101.
A controlling leader
In reply to Durham’s first innings, Lancashire posted an impressive 357, followed by a declaration of 359/9 in their second innings. Keaton Jennings flashed a stunning century, scoring 155 runs. Despite his struggles with batting, Stokes made a noticeable impact with the ball, taking five wicket hauls for 98 runs in 20 overs.
At the end of Day 3, Durham found themselves at 134/3, needing 341 runs for a win. Contributions from Alex Lees (40) and captain Scott Borthwick (39) provided a solid foundation, but both players could not turn their starts into big points.
