Inspirational Stokes shows Dutch courage, but should he already be back home?

RESCUER of a fading cause, staggering around on creaking joints as aching limbs launch ball after ball beyond the boundary; a team on the brink of collapse dragged towards salvation and victory by one man's stubborn streak.

- Malik Ouzia

This was exactly the kind of innings England fans had in mind when Ben Stokes announced his decision to un-retire ahead of this World Cup. Unfortunately, it was being played by Glenn Maxwell.

Less than 24 hours on from Maxwell's magnum opus, the Australian's double-hundred against Afghanistan on Tuesday to take his country into the semi-finals constituting probably the greatest ODI knock of all time, Stokes was indeed playing his own defiant hand.

A century from England's talisman in Pune steered the defenceless champions from the precipice of another premature skittling to a total too tall for the Dutch and, in the process, kept their quaint push for Champions Trophy qualification alive.