Ben Stokes smashes five sixes in a row for 64-ball hundred in County Championship for Durham | Cricket News

Stokes takes Worcestershire’s Josh Baker for 34 runs in an over – five sixes and one four – to complete stunning 64-ball hundred in County Championship; all-rounder fires at No 6, the spot he will now return to when England begin their Test summer against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2

Ben Stokes hit five consecutive sixes to bring up his century off 64 balls for Durham against Worcestershire

New England Test captain Ben Stokes smashed five sixes in a row as he completed a stunning 64-ball hundred on his first appearance of the LV= Insurance County Championship season for Durham.

Stokes drummed Worcestershire left-arm spinner Josh Baker for five sixes in succession at New Road to bring up his ton and then another four to end an eye-watering 34-run over for the 18-year-old bowler.

By lunch on day two, Stokes had progressed his score to 147 not out off 82 deliveries, with his 15 sixes for the innings one shy of Australian batter Andrew Symonds’ County Championship record.

Stokes cleared the ropes 11 times in the final eight overs of the morning session alone, adding two further boundaries, as his last 84 runs came off just 25 balls.

Stokes fired from the No 6 spot, which is where he confirmed earlier this week that he would shift to in the England Test side in a move that he feels is “best for the team”.

The all-rounder takes over an England squad with just one win in their last 17 matches, 11 of which have ended in defeat.

That lean run has seen them drop to sixth in the ICC Test rankings and to their lowest points rating in 27 years

Stokes – whose tenure as captain begins against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2 – told the press on Tuesday: “Being completely realistic, winning one game in 17 is nowhere near good enough for the people we have.

“We can look at that and go there is only one to go, which is up.

Stokes took Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker for 34 runs in an over, with five successive sixes followed by a four

“We have not been good enough. That is not a dig at any individual as I have been part of that. As a team we know we have not been good enough, not played to the standard we know we can.

“It’s about understanding that and fixing it but we need to understand things won’t happen overnight. I can’t just expect it to click and all of a sudden we are No 1 in a year’s time.

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Ben Stokes shares his thoughts on how previously taking a mental health break could benefit his England captaincy and how he has changed through his experiences.

“I am very excited about the role of hopefully making the England Test team great again. It’s a big goal of mine.

“A great starting point for me on the field is that I want to have selfless cricketers who make decisions based on what they can do to win a game in that given time.

“At the end of the day, you are judged on winning games. That has always been the most important thing for me.

“Decisions I make are based on what is the best thing to do to give us a chance. I want to have 10 other guys out there with me who have that mindset.”