Ben Stokes was England’s hero as his unbeaten 135 led the Three Lions to victory in a remarkable third Ashes Test.
England were massive underdogs after being bowled out for 67 on the second day at Headingley. But, chasing 359 to win and stay in with a chance of regaining the Ashes, England won by one wicket.
A remarkable tenth-wicket partnership of 76 with Jack Leach, who scored just one, had the Yorkshire crowd in raptures.
Stokes hit eight sixes and secured the famous win with a boundary off Pat Cummins.
It was a victory that looked off the cards from the very start of Sunday’s play.
Captain Joe Root was dismissed early in the day for 77 though Jonny Bairstow stuck around for 36.
But Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes fell for just two runs between them and when Stuart Broad followed Jofra Archer back to the pavilion, England needed 73 with just one wicket remaining.
But from the next 10.2 overs, Stokes farmed the strike meaning Leach faced just 17 balls.
The spinner should have been run out but Nathan Lyon fumbled the ball while Ben Stokes was dropped down at third man.
And Stokes was the hero, just like he was at the Cricket World Cup final.
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“I never gave up,” Stokes said. “When Jack Leach came in it was pretty clear what I had to do.
“I told him five and one, I’d take five balls and give him one.
“Leachy is our super-nightwatchman so I backed him knowing what we had to do. I couldn’t watch at the end. I couldn’t watch the balls going down.”
And Australia captain Tim Paine acknowledged the talent needed for Stokes’ stunning innings.
Paine said: “Ah look, it happens mate. Ben Stokes has played one of the great innings.
“It’s got to sting but we have to trust our process, we were very close. We are on the right track and we have two more chances to win the Ashes.
“I’ve seen Stokesy do it too many times, he played out of his skin and he had a bit of luck. The lbw shout is irrelevant, we can’t control it, it was given not out.
“The whole series has been pretty good to watch. We could have batted them right out of the game and we left the door open for them.”