LONDON: England will require more heroics from Ben Stokes if they are to pull off an unlikely victory over Australia on Sunday and level an Ashes series threatening to slide out of their control. Chasing 371 for victory at Lord’s, England had their top-order ripped apart by Aussie pace duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins as they stumbled to 114-4 at the close of day four. But with captain Stokes still there, Ben Duckett unbeaten on 50 after a massive let-off just before stumps and the destructive Jonny Bairstow still to come in, there is still hope, according to England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick. “I think there’s always hope with Ben there, two Bens there, Jonny coming in and the bowlers,” Trescothick told the BBC. But they will be wary of Stokes who memorably scored an unbeaten 135 against them at Headingley in 2019 when England chased down 359 despite being 286-9.
