History of Ben Stokes in Timeline
Ben Stokes is a prominent English international cricketer, currently captaining the England Test team. Known as one of England's greatest all-rounders, he excels in all three formats of the game. He represents Durham in domestic cricket and has participated in various Twenty20 leagues globally. Stokes played a crucial role in England's victories in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, solidifying his status as a key player in English cricket history.
1981: Ian Botham's Previous Record
In July 2024, Ben Stokes surpassed Ian Botham's 1981 record for the fastest test half-century by an English player.
June 1991: Benjamin Andrew Stokes Born
In June 1991, Benjamin Andrew Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, to Gerard Stokes, a rugby league footballer and coach. He has Māori heritage on his mother's side.
2003: Relocation to England
In 2003, at the age of 12, Ben Stokes relocated to England when his father was appointed head coach of Workington Town Rugby League Football Club.
2006: Cricket Club Title Win
In 2006, Ben Stokes, at just 15 years old, contributed to Cockermouth Cricket Club's North Lancashire & Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division Title win.
2009: List A Debut for Durham
In 2009, Ben Stokes made his List A debut for Durham at The Oval, taking the wicket of Mark Ramprakash with his third delivery.
May 2010: Maiden First-Class Century
On 13 May 2010, Ben Stokes scored his maiden first-class century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
2010: Under-19 World Cup Century
In 2010, Ben Stokes played in the Under-19 World Cup, scoring a century against the India Under-19 team.
August 2011: Senior England Debut
In August 2011, Ben Stokes made his senior England debut in a One Day International (ODI) against Ireland. He was caught and bowled by Paul Stirling for three runs.
2011: ODI and T20I Debuts
In 2011, Ben Stokes made his One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) debuts for England.
2013: Stokes Engaged to Clare Ratcliffe
Ben Stokes became engaged to Clare Ratcliffe in 2013.
2013: County Championship Win
In 2013, Ben Stokes was a key member of the Durham side that won the County Championship.
2013: Ashes Series Selection and Debut
In 2013, Ben Stokes was selected for the England squad for the Ashes series against Australia, becoming the 658th player to represent England at Test level. He made his debut in the 2nd Test, taking wickets and contributing with the bat.
2014: Royal London One-Day Cup Final Win
In 2014, Ben Stokes was named Man of the Match in the final of the Royal London One-Day Cup Final at Lord's.
January 2015: Joins Melbourne Renegades
In January 2015, Ben Stokes joined the Melbourne Renegades of Australia's Big Bash League as a replacement for Jesse Ryder.
2015: Record Innings Against South Africa
During England's 2015-16 tour, Ben Stokes scored 258 against South Africa, setting the Test world record for most runs in an innings at number six. He and Jonny Bairstow also set a world record for the highest sixth-wicket stand in Tests, at 399.
2016: Recognition in World Test and ODI XI
For his performances in 2016, Ben Stokes was named in the World Test XI by the ICC and ESPNcricinfo. He was also named in the ODI XI of the year 2016 by ESPNcricinfo.
February 2017: Appointed Vice-Captain of England Test Team
In February 2017, Ben Stokes was appointed vice-captain of England's Test team, deputising under Joe Root.
February 2017: Bought by Rising Pune Supergiant
In February 2017, Ben Stokes was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant to play in the Indian Premier League. He scored a Twenty20 century against Gujarat Lions and was named Most Valuable Player for the season.
September 2017: Stokes Arrested After Street Brawl
In September 2017, Ben Stokes was arrested after a street brawl near a nightclub in Bristol. The incident led to injuries for two men and caused Stokes to miss several games and the 2017-18 Ashes, losing his sponsorship with New Balance.
October 2017: Stokes Marries Clare Ratcliffe
Ben Stokes married Clare Ratcliffe in East Brent, Somerset in October 2017.
2017: Champions Trophy and ODI Century
In 2017, Ben Stokes scored his second ODI century against South Africa and his third against Australia during the Champions Trophy. He was also named in the 'Team of the Tournament' by the ICC.
January 2018: Stokes Charged with Affray
On 15 January 2018, Ben Stokes was charged with affray, along with two other men, following the incident in Bristol.
February 2018: Stokes Appears Before Magistrates' Court
In February 2018, Ben Stokes appeared before Bristol Magistrates' Court regarding the affray charge.
August 2018: Stokes' Affray Trial Begins and Ends with Acquittal
In August 2018, Ben Stokes' trial for affray began, during which he stated he was defending a gay couple from homophobic abuse. He was acquitted on 14 August.
September 2018: Stokes Charged with Bringing Game into Disrepute
In September 2018, Ben Stokes was charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the ECB over the Bristol incident and social media posts.
December 2018: Stokes Fined and Banned by ECB
In December 2018, Ben Stokes pleaded guilty to the ECB charges and was fined £30,000 and banned for eight matches, a ban he had already served.
2018: Move to Rajasthan Royals
In 2018, Ben Stokes moved to Rajasthan Royals, becoming the most expensive player in the IPL auction at £1.7 million.
April 2019: Named in England's World Cup Squad
In April 2019, Ben Stokes was named in England's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
2019: Pivotal Role in Ashes Series
In 2019, Ben Stokes played a pivotal role in enabling England ultimately to draw the Ashes series 2–2 against Australia. In the third test at Headingley, Stokes managed to overturn an overnight Australian lead, hitting 11 fours and 8 sixes to win with an unbeaten 135* in a record pursuit of 359.
2019: Awards Recognition
In 2019, Ben Stokes was named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and ICC Player of the Year at the ICC Awards.
2019: Named in World Cup Team of the Tournament
In 2019, Ben Stokes was named in the "Team of the Tournament" for the 2019 World Cup by the ICC.
2019: England Wins 2019 Cricket World Cup
In 2019, Ben Stokes was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
2019: Awards and World Cup Win
In 2019, Ben Stokes was part of the England team that won the Cricket World Cup. He was also named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World, won the ICC Award for Best Men's Cricketer, and received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
2019: The Sun Publishes Story
In 2019, The Sun published a front-page story about a family tragedy of Ben Stokes, argued not to be in the public interest.
June 2020: Named England Captain
In June 2020, Ben Stokes was named as captain of England for the first time in the absence of Joe Root. In the first Test, Stokes took his 150th wicket, to become the sixth cricketer to score 4,000 runs and take 150 wickets in Tests, and in the first innings of the second Test, Stokes scored 176 runs, to record his tenth century in Test cricket.
October 2020: Unbeaten Innings for Rajasthan Royals
In October 2020, Ben Stokes scored 107 not out for Rajasthan Royals.
December 2020: Death of Ged Stokes
The death of Ben Stokes' father Ged Stokes due to brain cancer in December 2020 contributed to his mental health issues.
2020: Wisden Leading Cricketer Award
In 2020, Ben Stokes was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.
June 2021: Stokes Takes Break from Cricket for Mental Wellbeing
In June 2021, Ben Stokes announced an indefinite break from cricket to focus on his mental wellbeing.
July 2021: Indefinite Break from Cricket
In July 2021, it was announced that Ben Stokes would take an "indefinite break" from cricket.
October 2021: Added to Ashes Squad
In October 2021, Ben Stokes was added to England's squad for the 2021–22 Ashes series in Australia.
2021: Finger Injury
During the 2021 IPL season, Ben Stokes suffered a finger injury which ruled him out for the entire season.
2021: Stokes and Mother Receive Damages from The Sun
In 2021, Ben Stokes and his mother received damages from The Sun, who had published a story about a family tragedy in 2019 that was deemed not in the public interest.
2021: First Season with Northern Superchargers
In 2021, Ben Stokes made two appearances in the inaugural season of The Hundred for the Northern Superchargers.
2021: Captaincy Due to COVID Outbreak
In 2021, due to a COVID outbreak, Ben Stokes was named captain for the Pakistan ODI matches, leading an inexperienced team to a nine-wicket victory in the first match. He also played in his 100th ODI match.
April 2022: Appointed England Test Team Captain
In April 2022, Ben Stokes was appointed captain of England's Test team.
April 2022: Named England Men's Test Captain
In April 2022, Ben Stokes was named as England men's Test captain, succeeding Joe Root. He and new coach Brendon McCullum developed "Bazball", a fearless and entertaining style of play.
May 2022: Record-Breaking Return to Durham
On 6 May 2022, Ben Stokes marked his return to Durham with a record-breaking 161 from 88 balls, including scoring 34 runs in a single over and hitting five consecutive sixes, during the County Championship game against Worcestershire.
June 2022: Stokes Starts Captaincy with Clean Sweep
In June 2022, Ben Stokes began his captaincy with a 3–0 clean sweep of New Zealand in England, scoring 194 runs at an average of 48.50 across 5 innings.
July 2022: England Defeats South Africa, Stokes Named Player of the Series
In July 2022, England defeated South Africa 2–1 in the Test series. Ben Stokes was named Player of the Series, scoring 149 runs at an average of 37.25 and taking 10 wickets at a bowling average of 15.70.
July 2022: Stokes Announces Retirement from ODI Cricket
On 18 July 2022, Ben Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket following the first match against South Africa, citing the physical and mental demands of playing all three formats.
August 2022: Stokes Continues Mental Health Treatment
As of August 2022, Ben Stokes stated he was still speaking to his therapist and taking anti-anxiety medication.
December 2022: Bought by Chennai Super Kings
On 23 December 2022, Ben Stokes was bought by Chennai Super Kings to play in the IPL 2023 season for INR. 16.25 Crore (£1.6 million) in the IPL auction.
2022: Stokes Donates Match Fees to Pakistan Flood Appeal
Following the 2022 Pakistan floods, Ben Stokes confirmed he would donate his match fees from the Pakistan test series to the flood appeal, hoping the donation would aid rebuilding efforts.
2022: England Wins 2022 T20 World Cup
In 2022, Ben Stokes was part of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup.
February 2023: New Record for Sixes Hit in Test Career
In February 2023, Ben Stokes set a new record for the total number of sixes hit in a Test career, surpassing the previous tally of 107.
August 2023: Stokes Comes Out of ODI Retirement
On 16 August 2023, it was announced that Ben Stokes would come out of ODI retirement and be part of England's squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
2023: Plays in IPL 2023 for Chennai Super Kings
Ben Stokes played in the IPL 2023 season for Chennai Super Kings.
2023: Stokes Scores Century in Cricket World Cup
In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Ben Stokes, after initially struggling, scored 108 runs off 84 balls against the Netherlands, earning him the Man of the Match award.
Feb 15, 2024: 100th Test Match
On Feb 15, 2024, Ben Stokes played his 100th test match against India.
July 2024: Stokes Scores Fastest Test Half-Century
On 28 July 2024, Ben Stokes scored the fastest Test half-century by an English player in the second innings of the 3rd Test against the West Indies, reaching 50 off 24 balls. However, Stokes missed the subsequent Test series with Sri Lanka after sustaining a hamstring tear during The Hundred.
December 2024: Stokes Suffers Hamstring Tear
In December 2024, Ben Stokes suffered a torn left hamstring during the third Test against New Zealand. This injury ruled him out of cricketing activities for at least three months.
2024: Hamstring Injury
In 2024, Ben Stokes suffered a hamstring injury when batting against Manchester Originals.
January 2025: Stokes undergoes hamstring surgery
In January 2025, Ben Stokes had surgery following a torn left hamstring injury he sustained during the third test against New Zealand in December 2024. As a result, he was ruled out of all cricketing activities for at least three months, missing the SA20 and Champions Trophy.
May 2025: Stokes Returns to Cricket After Injury
In May 2025, Ben Stokes returned to cricket, playing in England's home Test against Zimbabwe after recovering from a hamstring injury.
2025: Opts out to manage fitness ahead of Ashes
In 2025, Ben Stokes opted out of the season to manage his fitness ahead of the 2025–26 Ashes series.
2025: Stokes Reportedly Quits Alcohol
In 2025, it was reported that Ben Stokes had quit alcohol, having reportedly not consumed it since 2 January.
2026: Contract Extension
In October 2024, Ben Stokes extended his contract with the ECB until autumn 2026.
Mentioned in this timeline
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