Lord's hero Stokes inspired by his mum-who played cricket while Pregnant

Ben Stokes, the hero of Lord's Test that England won by 124 runs against New Zealand, is inspired by his mother who played cricket while she was pregnant with him.

Deborah Stokes, mother of Ben Stokes, was a respectable cricketer in New Zealand before Ben was born in 1991.

With dad Ged a formidable rugby league forward who represented the Kiwis, Ben was always destined to make a professional career in sports like his parents.

Excited with his son's heroic performance at Lord's, Ged says that with the time difference, they were awake all the nights watching it, and hardly had any sleep during those five days, the Mirror reported.

He said that the way their son played was tremendous and they were proud of him.

He insisted that Deb was a good cricketer and she was still playing right up to carrying Ben, adding that it was because of her that Ben became an all-rounder.