Ben Stokes' Century Guides England to Victory Against Netherlands

Only after England was eliminated from contention for a spot in the World Cup semi-final did Ben Stokes rediscover his magic.

All England can say, however, is that it's better late than never, as Stokes' century of 108 off 84 balls was crucial in ending their run of defeats and winning by 160 runs against the Netherlands on Wednesday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

England won the toss and chose to bat first, and they were driven to 339/9 thanks in large part to Stokes' century and Dawid Malan's brisk 87 at the top. The Netherlands then gave up for 179 with 76 balls left, meaning they were never in the game.

From the World Cup's standpoint, the Englishmen's victory was really a consolation prize. However, they care about it, particularly in light of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Seven more teams from the top eight in the current showcase, in addition to the hosts Pakistan, will be eligible for the Champions Trophy. After this victory, England will undoubtedly feel a bit relieved as they move up to sixth in the rankings.

As a specialist batsman in this World Cup, Stokes was not compact in his first three innings and had trouble keeping pace. However, on Saturday in Ahmedabad, he scored 64 runs against Australia. But on Wednesday, when Stokes got to the crease, Malan had already created a base.

However, Stokes saw his team's all too familiar collapse occur once again, as they went from 133/2 in the 21st over to 192 in the 36th over with six wickets lost.

But Stokes came up with his A-game, and along with a helping hand from seamer all-rounder Chris Woakes (51) and, of course, some unproven Dutch bowling, England's innings was soon back on track.

With their combined 129 runs at the seventh wicket, Stokes and Woakes helped England beyond 320 thanks to their variety of powerful blows. With six boundaries and an equal number of maximums, Stokes became the last England wicket to fall, having completed his sixth ODI century.

It was then left to the bowlers from England. The economical Woakes scored one run, but his new-ball colleague David Willey scored two, while England's tweakers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid both claimed three wickets to help them finish fast.

"I'm glad to be winning again instead of receiving a lot of things. The World Cup has really been difficult, according to Stokes, who was named Man of the Match.