NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes’ patient approach against Australia in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane has produced the slowest fifty in the Bazball era since June 2022. The England all-rounder took 148 balls to reach his half-century, displaying immense discipline and tactical awareness after being on the back foot in the contest.
While baseball is often associated with aggressive intent and rapid scoring, Stokes’ innings demonstrated that adaptability remains key, especially when rescuing the team or navigating tricky conditions.
This marks Stokes’ 50th 50+ score in Tests. Remarkably, he played 20.1% false shots en route to this milestone – the highest proportion at the time of reaching a fifty in his career, recorded only five times before, with the last occurrence back in 2017.
Slowest 50s in Bazball era since Jun 2022 (by balls)
148 Ben Stokes vs Aus Brisbane 2025 *
122 Joe Root vs NZ Wellington 2023
116 Ben Foakes vs SA Manchester 2022
111 Zak Crawley vs Ind Leeds 2025
The previous slowest fifties in the baseball era highlight just how rare such a measured approach is. Joe Root took 122 balls to reach his fifty against New Zealand in Wellington in 2023, while Ben Foakes required 116 balls against South Africa in Manchester in 2022. More recently, Zak Crawley faced 111 deliveries to get to his fifty against India in Leeds in 2025.
England found themselves trailing by 177 runs after Australia posted a massive 511 in their first innings, following the visitors’ 334. The batting woes for England continued in the second innings as they collapsed to 128/6 by the close of play on Day 3.
However, Stokes delayed the inevitable with a gritty 96-run partnership alongside Will Jacks, the pair occupying the crease for the entire first session on Day 4 and keeping England in the contest. Their resistance ended when Michael Neser struck twice in quick succession, leaving the visitors tottering once again.
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