England all-rounder defends Lord's role

                                    

England's Ben Stokes insists he did not "wilfully" handle the ball in the incident that led to his controversial dismissal against Australia.

Stokes, 24, was given out 'obstructing the field' after Mitchell Starc's throw hit him on the hand during Australia's one-day win at Lord's on Saturday.

Australia skipper Steve Smith said all-rounder Stokes was "blatantly out".

But Stokes said: "I don't think any human being would have time to think about wilfully [stopping the ball]."


Australia have a 2-0 lead after two of five one-day internationals.

Stokes, who became the first England batsman - and sixth overall - to be dismissed obstructing the field in a one-day international, told NEWS he hoped it would not create any "bad blood" between the two teams.

The Durham all-rounder added: "I hope [the incident] doesn't get turned into bad blood just out of that one little situation.

"But who knows, once I step over that line things might change. I hope it doesn't get blown out of proportion and takes away from the cricket side of things."

England captain Eoin Morgan and Australia counterpart Steve Smith exchange words

The incident occurred when Stokes left his crease after driving the ball back to Starc. The left-arm pace bowler threw the ball towards Stokes in an apparent attempt to hit the stumps at the striker's end and run him out.

Stokes, who was dismissed after making 10 runs, stopped the ball with his hand as he turned and dived to regain his ground.



Starc appealed for the dismissal, and Stokes was given out by the by television umpire Joel Wilson.

Smith and England captain Eoin Morgan then became engaged in a heated exchange on the field as boos rang out around the ground.

Morgan later said he would have withdrawn the appeal had an England bowler done the same thing.

The two teams meet again in the third one-day international at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Asked whether an Australia apology would help defuse any tension, Stokes added: "It would not be doing me any good, or any bad.


"You know, I'm over it now, the only thing is I think it's just maybe taken the attention away from the fact we haven't played our cricket up to the standard we want to.

"We've got to look at that and look at the bigger picture and realise we've got to win these next three games to win the series. So it's pretty much like play-offs now for us."

Speaking at a Chance to Shine  street cricket event in Birmingham, Stokes also hoped it would not create precedent with bowlers trying to get wickets in the same way in the future, stating: "That wouldn't be great for the game."