5 Point approach: How Ben Stokes constructed his masterclass hundred

#5 Taking calculated risks

Stokes has a century and half-century in his first IPL season

A key factor in constructing a big innings in cricket is to minimise risks and play safe strokes. Out of the 63 balls Stokes faced, only 13 were boundary shots which indicates the few risks he took.

Stokes' scoring shots

Strokes	Balls	% of total balls	Runs scored	% of total Runs
Dot balls	17	26.98	_	_
1’s	27	42.85	27	26.21
2’s	6	9.52	12	12.36
4’s	7	11.11	28	27.18
6’s	6	9.52	36	34.95

Stokes hit a boundary every 4.84 balls to keep the run rate under control and scored a single every 2.33 balls to keep the opposition on their toes.

Close to 40% of Stokes’ runs came from singles and doubles which allowed him to push his innings till the end, while by scoring about 60% of runs through boundaries, the southpaw scored quickly when the required run rate was eight runs per over.