Ben Stokes was dismissed for 10 under law 37.1 for obstructing the field during England's 64-run defeat to Australia at Lord's, sparking a war of words between captains Eoin Morgan and Steve Smith. The incident occurred when Stokes deflected a throw from Mitchell Starc away from the stumps with his hand, leading to a third umpire review that overturned the on-field not out decision.
Morgan defended his player, arguing the reaction was instinctive self-protection rather than a deliberate attempt to block the ball. 'My interpretation of it was that his reaction wasn't deliberate,' Morgan said. 'The ball was thrown so fast you can only react in a way that defends yourself. I didn't think it was deliberate.' He added that he would have withdrawn the appeal had he been in Smith's position.
Smith rejected that view, insisting Stokes knew what he was doing. 'It was blatantly out,' Smith said. 'The ball wasn't going to hit him, Stokes was out of his crease, he put his arm out and got in the way of the ball. If you read the rule book, we're well within our rights to appeal and the umpires have given it out.' Smith confirmed he would not seek peace talks before the third ODI at Old Trafford.
The defeat leaves England 2-0 down in the series, having lost 11 of their past 12 one-day internationals against Australia. Morgan called on his young side to improve, saying: 'Australia are a very disciplined and well-drilled side, they certainly outplayed us today.'
