We spoke to centurion Ben Stokes after Durham's win
By Callum Dent
Ben Stokes has urged Durham to carry the momentum gained from yesterday’s crushing of Notts Outlaws into the Royal London One-Day Cup final later this month.
The England international was the star of the show at the Emirates Durham ICG yesterday, helping his side set up a clash against Warwickshire at Lord’s on September 20 with a stunning innings.
Stokes, a day after impressing with bat and ball for Englandin the fifth and final one-day international with India at Headingley, smashed a brutal 164 off just 113 deliveries to lift Durham to 353 for eight.
The Outlaws were always up against it in their run-chase, despite the best efforts of centurion James Taylor, and fell 84 runs short when they were dismissed for 270.
After defending a low total to beat Yorkshire Vikings in the last eight and replicating their one-day form in the LV= County Championship, Durham are hitting form at the right time.
And Stokes, who ended the Outlaws’ chase by removing Taylor for 114, wants his side to add to the championship title they won last season at the home of cricket.
When asked about the battle with the Bears in the showpiece, the 23-year-old told ecb.co.uk: “It’s massive. We had a brilliant season last year with the red ball and haven’t been quite the same this year.
“But we have got another chance to lift another title, two in two years, which could be great.
“You get to a final and want to win it. We have got to take the day as any other day and try not to look at the day too much and put too much pressure on ourselves.
“If we play like we have done, then we should do alright.
“The cricket over the last five games to get us here has been fantastic and we have done very well to carry on that form over the last couple of games.
“We showed today how good we can be.”
Stokes, with 18 fours and six maximums, showed his international class by flaying the Notts attack to all parts.
He believes he is finally finding some form with the bat, saying: “I have felt in good nick from a while now.
“It’s just good to stay out in the middle and be contributing. I think I am now realising how best for me is to play white-ball cricket and it is coming on.
“It was brilliant to be contributing to a winning team.”
On Notts wicketkeeper Chris Read handing him a lifeline on 12, Stokes added: “It’s always nice to get a drop, a lifeline so early.
“Ready is a bit better than very good; I would say he is one of the best in the country. You won’t often see him drop anything like that again.”