Stokes Disappoints as England Faces Humiliating Loss to South Africa in World Cup

English all-rounder Ben Stokes marked his comeback in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, facing South Africa at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. A hip injury sidelined Stokes for England's first three tournament matches, which included a win against Bangladesh but losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan.

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English all-rounder Ben Stokes marked his comeback in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, facing South Africa at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. A hip injury sidelined Stokes for England's first three tournament matches, which included a win against Bangladesh but losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan.

In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday, England faced a crushing defeat by a margin of 229 runs at the hands of South Africa, making it their most substantial One Day International (ODI) loss. With two losses in their first three matches, England eagerly awaited Stokes's return, as Liam Livingstone's poor form in the middle order provided an opportunity.

During the game, Stokes displayed his fielding prowess by taking a remarkable catch off David Miller in Reece Topley's over at mid-off. The catch, however, caused him to fall with momentum.

The scorching and humid conditions in Mumbai seemed to take a toll on the all-rounder, as well as the bowlers and batsmen, particularly Heinrich Klassen, who played a vital role in South Africa's massive total.

To the surprise of both the management and Stokes, South Africa set a formidable target of 400 runs. Stokes entered the crease early in the innings, as England had already lost Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root with just 23 runs on the scoreboard after four overs.

Shortly after, Dawid Malan joined the top-order batsmen in the pavilion, making it three down for a mere 24 runs, courtesy of Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. It was not the return that Stokes had hoped for.

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Stokes managed to put on a 14-run partnership with Harry Brook, who scored 66 runs in a losing effort against Afghanistan. However, in the ninth over, Rabada bowled a delivery that hit Stokes' bat well but was returned straight to Rabada, ending Stokes' inning at just 5 runs from 8 balls.

Stokes, clearly disappointed, threw his bat in frustration as he made his way back to the dressing room. England's innings concluded at 170 runs, further damaging their chances of qualification in the tournament. The defending champions found themselves second from the bottom in the standings, with only two points and a slightly better net run rate than Afghanistan.

In a shocking turn of events, Ben Stokes's return was far from the heroics England had hoped for, resulting in a significant setback in their World Cup campaign.