England cricket hero Ben Stokes has been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year after a pulsating summer in which he helped end the nation’s 44-year wait to win the World Cup.
Stokes, 28, was the overwhelming favourite heading into Sunday night’s ceremony – the 65th year of the award – and duly picked up the trophy at the P&J Live arena in Aberdeen.
He is the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to pick up the gong, and only the fifth in history along with Ian Botham (1981), David Steele (1975) and Jim Laker (1956).
It was a memorable 12 months for Stokes but his team-mates were deservedly recognised for their efforts earlier in the night after they were named ‘Team of the Year’.
Stokes enjoyed an unforgettable summer with England that peaked at Lord’s in the World Cup final, coming into bat against New Zealand with the game precariously poised at 71 for three with the hosts needing another 171 runs to win the match.
He proceeded to hit 84 not out, forcing a rare super over with two dramatic sixes in the final two overs and getting a bizarre boundary after the ball hit his bat as he ran between the wickets.
Having put on a 110 partnership with Jos Buttler in the match, the pair were picked for the super over and posted 15 runs; New Zealand needed to beat that tally as England had scored more boundaries, but could only tie to spark jubilant scenes at the home of cricket.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominees
Ben Stokes (winner)
Lewis Hamilton (runner-up)
Dina Asher-Smith (third)
Alun Wyn Jones
Raheem Sterling
Katrina Johnson-Thompson
Stokes – who just a year earlier had been cleared in court following charges of affray – was named Man of the Match in the final, which was England’s first appearance in the showpiece since losing to Pakistan in 1992 and their first ever ODI World Cup win since the inaugural competition in 1975.
He scored 465 runs in the tournament, ranking him ninth, while he also took seven wickets and is now the number one ranked ODI all-rounder in the world by the ICC.
Stokes’ heroics continued in Test cricket too, delivering one the best innings in Ashes history at Headingley – though Australia ultimately retained the urn to take the gloss off an otherwise unforgettable summer.
He hit 135 not out to lead England to their record chase of 359 in the third Test, briefly keeping the Ashes alive, and posted a final wicket stand of 76 alongside last man and unlikely hero Jack Leach.
Stokes hit eight sixes and 11 fours in a barrage of defiance with the bat, while Leach defended manfully and hit his one and only run to tie the scores. One more majestic four from Stokes and the Test was won as Headingley erupted.
Although Stokes was the runaway favourite, British sport enjoyed a stellar year and he had to beat off significant competition to win Sports Personality of the Year.
Lewis Hamilton missed out on becoming only the fifth person to win multiple SPOTY awards after securing a sixth Formula One World Championship, while Dina Asher-Smith became the first British woman to win a global sprint title.
The 24-year-old, the fastest British woman in history, backed up her gold medal in the 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Qatar by also winning silver in the 100m and 4x100m relay.
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, meanwhile, put to bed countless injury struggles and heartbreak at major championships to win gold in Doha, breaking Jessica Ennis-Hill’s British record in the process.
Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling was also on the six-man shortlist, excelling for club and country and speaking out on racism, while Wales rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones rounded out the nominees.
Elsewhere on the night, Kenyan long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge won the World Sport Star of the Year award after becoming the first person ever to run a marathon in under two hours, beating competition from gymnast Simone Biles, South Africa rugby captain Siya Kolisi, USA footballer Megan Rapinoe, Aussie cricketer Steve Smith and golf legend Tiger Woods.
MORE: England squad ‘100 per cent’ behind captain Joe Root, insists Ben Stokes
