Ben Stokes refusing to panic and ‘throw toys out of the pram’ as England slump to heavy defeat

The hosts started their second innings chasing the game, 161 runs behind, but were unable to even take the game into the evening session on Friday following a spectacular batting collapse as they were bowled out for 149.

After previously chasing down high totals, including 378 to beat India earlier in the summer, England’s batters floundered at Lord’s, with Stuart Broad and Alex Lees posting the highest individual score (35) in the second innings.

It was the first defeat suffered under Stokes’s captaincy since he and Brendon McCullum were appointed, having previously guided England to four successive Test victories, but the England captain insisted he will not react too strongly to the loss.

“It was an off-game for us, and that’s absolutely fine. It’s not something I’m going to be throwing our toys out of the pram over,” Stokes said.

“The message from me and Baz upstairs will be, did we commit to everything the way we committed to the first four Tests of the summer?

“If everyone can say ‘yes, 100 per cent, we just didn’t execute’ then things are good. We’ll move on to the next Test match, and go out there and try and win.”

England collapsed inside 40 overs in the second innings, although there were a few signs of the ‘Bazball’ aggressive batting approach, between Stokes and Broad, when they put on 55.

However, Stokes wants his side to put the defeat behind them ahead of the second match of the series at Old Trafford, which starts on Thursday.

“It’s obviously disappointing to lose a game. Deflating is a bit extreme. I just like to ride a wave of whatever comes,” the all-rounder said. “The way we responded after the first Test match just keeps to hammer home what we’re all about. You have to live in the moment and ride the wave, whether that be of success or failure.

“We’ve got two games left. If we hold on to this for too long, and carry baggage into the next game, we’re already one step behind South Africa. I want us to be a team where we’re one step ahead.”