Ben Stokes’ incredible summer has secured him the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2019.
The 28-year-old was the overwhelming bookmakers’ favourite for this award, and the public vote saw him finish ahead of
Lewis Hamilton and Dina Asher-Smith at the event in Aberdeen on Sunday night.
It is a story of redemption for Stokes, who in 2018 was cleared of affray charges following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September of the previous year.
Stokes and his fellow
World Cup winners were named Team of the Year while the moment the trophy was secured claimed the Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year award.
Here’s a reminder of three big moments from Stokes’s year. Produces superhuman one-handed catch diving backwards on the boundary during England’s win over
South Africa in the first game of the World Cup ...Hits 84 not out to ensure
England tie with
New Zealand in the World Cup final at Lord’s ...On a tricky pitch, against a canny Kiwi attack, Stokes carried his side from the doldrums of 86 for four to 241 – engineering a jaw-dropping tie from the last ball of the match.For his brilliant 98-ball 84* and crucial eight runs in the Super Over, Ben Stokes is adjudged Player of the Match. @Hublot | #CWC19 | #NZvENG | #CWC19Finalpic.twitter.com/WZV7cgCvmj— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2019.... then stars in the Super Over to lead his side to glory ...The tie meant the match was decided by a Super Over - in which an exhausted Stokes scored eight runs - and after that was also tied with 15 runs apiece.
England were awarded the win owing to the fact they had hit more boundaries during their regular innings.Helps England, chasing 359, level the Ashes with an astonishing unbeaten 135 in a one-wicket victory at Headingley.Stokes reeled off an incredible 135 not out as England made their biggest ever fourth-innings chase, scoring 74 in a logic-bending stand of 76 with last man Jack Leach.Ben Stokes after the fall of 9th wicket: 6, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 1, 6, 0, 0, 0, 6, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0, 6, 2, 1, 4, 6, 6, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 4, 4, 1, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 474 runs from 42 balls Hero pic.twitter.com/gWxvutJ2g2— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) August 25, 2019NRAIUBHGFIVUDSAHPGPUAISHFPOAUWHFVPASDICNSDOAHBC!!!!!!!!!!OEWIFHOEWQIHWEF'QWEJF!!!!!#Ashes— England
Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2019Not sure he can quite believe what he’s just done? @benstokes38#Ashes 🏴🏏🔥 pic.twitter.com/R5Yi1Oi4Ri— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 25, 2019Stokes said as he accepted the award on stage. “Two years ago was a tough time for me in my life. I’ve had so many people help me through that.
“My fantastic manager and friend Neil Fairbrother is here tonight. You are more than an agent as you get called these days. You’re an incredible human being and an incredible man.
“I literally don’t know how you’ve put up with Andrew Flintoff to start with and then me!”
The England star paid tribute to his team-mates as he added: “What you have managed to achieve as individuals and what you have managed to do for your sport is seriously sensational.
“Obviously it’s an individual award but I play in a team sport and the best thing about that is you get to share special moments with team-mates, backroom staff and management who make days like we had in the summer possible.
“I’m up here receiving this award but without the efforts you put in this summer, I wouldn’t up here be doing that. So thank you so much.”Asher-Smith’s coach John Blackie was named Coach of the Year, having worked with the world champion since she was eight at the Blackheath and Bromley Athletics Club.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson received the Lifetime Achievement award to mark a stunning sporting career.
Wheelchair racer Grey-Thompson won 11 Paralympic gold medals between 1992 and 2004 as well as six
London Marathon titles. Following her retirement she has remained heavily involved in sport, working on the board of the London Marathon and the SportsAid Foundation.
The award ceremony had got off to a poignant start as former
Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir was presented with the Helen Rollason award.
The 49-year-old was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2016, and he has spent the time since then working to raise awareness of the condition through his charity My Name’5 Doddie.
Keiren Thompson was the overall winner of the Unsung Hero prize out of a pool of 15 regional award winners.
Thompson is the founder of Helping Kids Achieve community group in Nottingham, and was presented with the award by Eliud Kipchoge, who was named World Sport Star.Related... How
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