Ben Stokes wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019 Award

England’s premier all-rounder Ben Stokes has won the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019 award. He was the frontrunner to take the trophy home after his heroics in the World Cup 2019 and subsequent home Ashes series. England won their first-ever ODI World Cup this year and drew the Ashes series, although they failed to retain it.

Also read: Ben Stokes wins PCA Players’ ‘Player of the Year’ award

Stokes is only the fifth cricketer, and the first since Andrew Flintoff in 2005, to have received the honour since it was instituted in 1954. The award, declared on Sunday, 15th December, is part of BBC’s annual sporting awards, and honours the best of British sport. The winners are decided on the basis of public voting on shortlisted candidates.

Cricket occupied the centre stage in the ceremony. The men’s one-day team became Team of the Year for their World Cup triumph. The exhilarating moment of England claiming the trophy was voted as the Greatest Sporting Moment of 2019.

Summer of Stokes

The World Cup final, heavily regarded as one of the greatest ODIs ever, witnessed an unimaginable finish. Hosts England ended up on the winning side at Lord’s after the thrilling final against New Zealand. The match ended as a tie thus culminating in a super over which also finished on equal terms. England became champions on account of scoring more boundaries. Ben Stokes top-scored with 84* in that match to tie the scores after the regulation 50 overs.

Within months of this victory, Stokes scored an unbelievable 135 not out in the Headingley Test to fetch an unlikely win single-handedly. England needed 73 runs to win with only Stokes and Jack Leach at the crease. Stokes launched a brutal assault which the Aussies failed to contain. His innings remains one of the most masterful batting displays in Test cricket.

Retweet if you bloody love Ben Stokes. pic.twitter.com/0zOHkmnNVQ

— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) December 15, 2019

“It’s an individual award, but I play a team sport and one of the great things about that is you get to share special moments with those teammates, coaches and without that effort you put in, I wouldn’t be up here receiving this award so thank you so much,” Stokes said in his acceptance speech.