Ben Stokes hit the highest score by an England batter in a one-day international match in a 181-run win over New Zealand at the Kia Oval.

In only his third ODI since retiring to play in this year’s World Cup, Stokes hammered wayward New Zealand bowling for nine sixes and 15 fours during his 124-ball stay.

Coming to 13-2, Stokes added 199 for the third wicket with Dawid Malan, an England record partnership in an ODI against the Black Caps. Malan’s 96 went a long way to cement his place in India’s World Cup starting XI.

Despite losing their last six wickets for 32 runs, England piled up 368. Given the carnage caused by Stokes, Trent Boult’s figures of 5-51 were extraordinary.

Facing the most successful chase in an ODI in England, New Zealand quickly found themselves in disarray at 37-4, thanks mainly to a three-wicket blast from Chris Woakes, who expertly used the proposed move in an opening of eight. to spell.

Glenn Phillips battled to 72 to extend the match, but after going down in weight on review by Liam Livingstone, New Zealand were bowled out for 187.

England take a 2-1 lead in the series, which they can secure with victory in the fourth and final match at Lord’s on Friday.

Super Stokes leads England dominance

Even with a troublesome left knee that will limit his involvement in the World Cup to batting only, it is Stokes’ ability to play innings like this that has made England so keen to have the Test captain in as part of his title defense in India.

Not only can he deliver in marquee moments such as the 2019 final or the 2022 T20 World Cup final, but few can match Stokes for wild strikes when he finds the range he did on a one-dayer cloudy at the Oval.

England were in trouble after Jonny Bairstow fell on the first ball of the match and Joe Root trailed, both past Boult, only for Stokes to respond in record fashion.

It was actually Malan who was the catalyst for England’s recovery, the opener timing the ball gently on both sides as Stokes struggled for fluidity.

Often hacking at the ball, Stokes failed to score a run from the first six deliveries he faced and had just 12 from his first 18. It was the introduction of left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra that brought life to Stokes. Three sixes were hoisted over deep mid-wicket, Ravindra made 28 from his only two overs and Stokes never looked back.

Scoring almost exclusively on the leg side, Stokes made his fourth ODI hundred and first since 2017 off 76 balls, his fastest in this format. Despite losing Malan, caught on the leg side in Boult’s over, Stokes added 78 for 46 with captain Jos Buttler.

Stokes hit Phillips over the cow corner to bring up his 150 and hit the same bowler into the second pavilion level with a monstrous forehand.

The southpaw raised the record with his final maximum, hitting a full toss at the pace of Ben Lister over long stretches. The crowd at the Oval did not immediately appreciate the significance of the moment, but responded with enthusiastic applause when Stokes’ achievement was announced on the big screen.

With more than five overs remaining in the innings, Stokes had time to become the first English batter to reach 200 in an ODI.

However, two balls after bettering Roy’s mark, he missed another full toss from Lister and was caught at deep square leg by Will Young.

After Robin Smith held England’s ODI record for 23 years with 167 made in 1993, it has now been broken three times since 2016, first by Alex Hales, then Roy, now Stokes.

The highest score by a batter in an ODI is the 264 made by India’s Rohit Sharma against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014.

Former captain Charlotte Edwards holds the record for the highest score made by an English woman in an ODI for her 173 not out against Ireland in 1997.

Malan and Woakes headline supporting cast

Stokes’ pyrotechnics lit up what might otherwise have been a flat affair between two teams facing off in a white-ball international match for the seventh time in 15 days.

New Zealand have fielded three players who weren’t even in their World Cup squad, while England are concerned about the fate of Roy, who missed yet another match with a back spasm . Harry Brook is waiting in the wings to replace Roy on a World Cup night which will be confirmed after Friday’s match at Lord’s.

In Roy’s absence, Malan took advantage of being dropped on 31 by wicketkeeper Tom Latham. So often facing questions about his place in the England team, Malan has pushed his career ODI average to 57.43, the fifth highest all-time for men who have played at least 20 innings.

While Malan is in fine form, Root could do with a score – he has made just 10 runs in three innings in this series. England were also wasteful late in the innings, from 336-4 in the 43rd over they could have reached 400, although at the halfway mark 368 seemed a big ask for New Zealand.

So it proved when Woakes, playing full length, had the new ball nibbled. The fielding he produced to put the left-handed Latham through the gate was sublime.

The competition was effectively over long before the spotlight started to take effect. After being punished by Stokes, Phillips at least got something back from his day, but missed a Livingstone half-tracker that hit the stumps.

It was the first of three wickets for Livingstone, who stumped Lister to seal England’s second-biggest ODI victory over New Zealand in terms of runs.

“I said sorry to Jason” – reaction

England captain Jos Buttler on the BBC Test Match special: “We were tested losing two early wickets, but that’s exactly what I wanted us to do, take more risks, be more at the forefront.

“Stokes played a few good games, but it was unbelievable. To score the highest one-day score for England was unbelievable.

“I haven’t seen such good new bowling in white-ball cricket for a while. Woakes and Topley were brilliant, it was a fantastic start.”

English batter Ben Stokes: “It’s not as easy as coming back and playing. You definitely have a lot more time. It’s just getting comfortable with the ebb and flow and that’s something I think I’ve done well here.

“The guy on the tannoy announced it right before I came out. I didn’t know I had the record. Jason said well done and I said sorry to him.”

New Zealand captain Tom Latham: “Stokes and Dawid were fantastic. We tried to change things, but they blocked everything.

“We managed to come back at the end of the innings, but then we were 40-4 and couldn’t build a partnership.

“We have been largely outplayed, but we have a great opportunity to level the series at Lord’s.”