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‘Welcome to Manchester’ - Australia met with giant Ben Stokes billboard
The poster featured Stokes’ celebration after he finished with an unbeaten 135 to help England level the series in remarkable fashion at Headingley last month, recovering from a paltry 67 in the first innings to win by one wicket.
Australia were taunted ahead of the fourth Ashes test against England with a giant billboard of Ben Stokes saying ‘Welcome to Manchester’ outside the team hotel on Wednesday.
The poster featured Stokes’ celebration after he finished with an unbeaten 135 to help England level the series in remarkable fashion at Headingley last month, recovering from a paltry 67 in the first innings to win by one wicket.
Bookmakers Ladbrokes were the creators of the cheeky poster, which is inspired from a famous Carlos Tevez poster erected when English football side Manchester City signed the Argentine striker after his two trophy-laden seasons at rivals Manchester United.
“Ben Stokes’ final innings at Headingley was the stuff of legend, so we thought it was only right to honour it ahead of the fourth test,” Jessica O’Reilly of Ladbrokes said.
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“Thankfully we found a spot just yards away from the Australian team’s hotel to give them a timely reminder.
“Hopefully our little sledge will help get England over the line and on the road to victory.”
Australia captain Tim Paine won the toss and chose to bat in their bid to reclaim the Ashes lead in the fourth test against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The visitors are looking to rebound from the painful third test defeat at Headingley, where all-rounder Ben Stokes’s unbeaten 135 helped England level the series at 1-1.
“Looking at that wicket it looks a bit drier than you’d expect,” Paine said. “We thought we’d have a bat first and put the runs on the board.
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“I’ve personally put Headingley to one side and I think a lot of the boys have. Good or bad, we have to move forward.”
Steve Smith, the newly crowned world’s number one test batsman, returns to the lineup after missing the Headingley humdinger with concussion.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc will make his first appearance in the series after replacing Peter Siddle.
England have made one change to the Headingley lineup, with Craig Overton replacing Chris Woakes in the seam attack. “We want (Overton) to keep doing what he has been for Somerset,” England captain Joe Root said.
