England's Ben Stokes has described his heroics against Australia to clinch an epic third Ashes Test is "one of the two best feelings I've ever felt on a cricket pitch" while also revealing a less-than-sportsman-like preparation to Sunday's play.
Stokes was on cloud nine after his match-winning century saw England snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Headingley in what is already accepted by many observers as one of the great Test innings of all time.
The allrounder's unbeaten 135 saw England turn certain defeat into a one-wicket victory and garnered comparisons with the great Ian Botham's heroics at the same venue in the 1981 Ashes. Stokes' tactical nous in shepherding No 11 Jack Leach along as they chased down the remaining 73 runs together and bludgeoning brilliance with the bat guided England to their biggest fourth-innings chase of 359, the 10th highest of all time.
It follows hot on the heels of Stokes' epic performance in helping England clinch a first Cricket World Cupat Lord's six weeks previous when the 28-year-old again led his side to victory from what looked an impossible situation.
Stokes, who finished with eight sixes and 11 fours, reflected: "Walking off when the whole of Headingley was standing up and celebrating was a very special moment and something I had to try to take in because moments like that don't come along very often. It was deafening.
"It was incredible. In terms of where we were at in the Ashes series [1-1 with two to play], I'm obviously over the moon. We knew if we lost this game then the Ashes were gone so to be sat here still in with a chance of getting the urn back is an amazing feeling.
"It's one of the two best feelings I've ever felt on a cricket pitch."
Stokes' efforts in the middle might have been the stuff of heroes but he readily admitted his preparations were rather more prosaic.
Asked how he had geared up for the challenge in front of him having been two not out overnight, he replied: "I think I had a knock-off Nando's, two bars of Yorkie - biscuit and raisin - and a couple of coffees in the morning."
In the supporting role was Leach, who defied the Australians for 17 vitally important deliveries. On a fiercely hot summer's day, the England No 11 could be seen constantly having to clean his glasses as Australia's feared bowling attack turned up the heat with victory slipping from their grasp.
He survived a certain run out that Nathan Lyon botched at the bowler's end and together with Stokes put on 76 for the 10th wicket, with Leach contribution's a solitary run, but one that has made the offspinner a cult hero with the Barmy Army and earned him free glasses for life from series sponsors Specsavers.
"Those will be the most important balls Jack Leach has ever faced, or will ever face in his Test career," Stokes said.
"It takes two to tango in situations like that but for a No 11 to come out under that kind of pressure and to deliver when he needed to deliver was fantastic."
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England v Australia player ratings
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ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS Rory Burns, 2 (out of 10) - Still just about in credit across the series, but two failures here showed he has to find more solutions if he is to really crack Test cricket. Reuters -
Jason Roy, 1 - Often seemed to be sledging the Australian batsmen. Which is bold from someone with 57 runs across six inning in the series, with two more failures here. Reuters -
Joe Root, 8 - No runs and just three balls faced between the second innings at Lord’s at the first at Headingley, then a leader’s effort in the second to give England a chance. Reuters -
Joe Denly, 7 - Top scored in England’s first innings with, erm, 12. But his plucky second-innings 50 suggested he could have the goods for this level after all. Reuters -
Ben Stokes, 10 - The greatest Test innings ever played? A little distance is needed for proper perspective on that, but factor in his heroic bowling, too, and he is quite the superstar. Reuters -
Jonny Bairstow, 7 - His second innings 36 was neither big nor matchwinning, but it was a counter-punch that infused England with belief. AFP -
Jos Buttler, 2 - Sawn off by Stokes with a mix up between the wickets when the stage had felt set for them to repeat their World Cup final form, and he remains run shy. AFP -
Chris Woakes (right), 4 - Culpable with the ball as England let Australia off the hook on Day 1, and they could have done with more from him with the bat on the fourth afternoon, too. AFP -
Jofra Archer, 8 - Stole a beach ball back from a steward and chucked it back to the revellers on the Western Terrace. Because he wasn’t enough of a hero already. Reuters -
Stuart Broad, 8 - The box office hits of Stokes and Archer have overshadowed a fine body of work by Broad in this Ashes so far. He was impeccable with the ball at Headingley. AFP -
Jack Leach, 7 - The best one not out he will ever make in his life, he reckons. It gave him a part share in the second highest 10th-wicket stand to win a Test. AFP -
AUSTRALIA PLAYER RATINGS David Warner, 6 - Rode his luck to make his first notable score of the series in the first innings, but he was back in the mire straight away second time around. AFP -
Marcus Harris, 3 - His returns were Cameron Bancroft-like: eight in the first innings, 19 second time round. So Australia’s problems at the top persist AFP -
Usman Khawaja, 4 - He is a shadow of the player who scored an epic century in Dubai against Pakistan last winter, with two more negligible efforts in Leeds. Reuters -
Marnus Labuschagne, 9 - Given the passable impression he has done of the master batsman since replacing him, he might as well be called “Labu-Smith”. It is easier to pronounce than Labuschagne, anyway. Reuters -
Travis Head, 4 - A duck first time around, then 25 in the second innings – but, to be fair to the left-hander, each ball was a peach that dismissed him. Reuters -
Matthew Wade, 5 - The century at Edgbaston apart, he has struggled to bring his domestic form with him on his Test return. He made nought and 33. Reuters -
Tim Paine, 0 - Two more batting failures. A review burnt in desperation, an over before it was really needed. And England scored 362 for nine in the fourth innings on his watch. Horror stuff. Reuters -
James Pattinson, 7 - He was not flattered by match figures of three for 58 as he was a threat throughout, on the ground where his brother played a single Test for England 11 years earlier. Reuters -
Pat Cummins, 7 - Outstanding in the first innings as Australia destroyed England’s top order, but he flagged when the game was there to be won second time around. Reuters -
Nathan Lyon, 4 - He bowled better than match figures of two for 115 suggest, but the botched run out of Leach with England requiring two to win might haunt him forever. Reuters -
Josh Hazlewood, 9 - Even this colossus could not stop Stokes, who took him for 19 in one vital over near the end. Other than that, Hazlewood was magnificent. Reuters
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Captain Joe Root was dismissed for 77 in the morning session, at the time a seemingly fatal blow, given England were always some way behind Australia's total of 359 following a first-innings collapse of 87.
Root said he watched his teammate's masterclass with the same awe as every other England fan.
"The emotions in the dressing room were all over the place, but once Ben started going we always believed," he said.
"He's a bit of a freak. We've seen some freakish things already this summer in the World Cup but I didn't think we'd see something similar in this series. For Ben to play like that? Wow.
"We were trying to work out how Ben was going to play it but got to the point where we thought it doesn't matter if he just trusts his instincts. It just shows what pressure can do to people and how different people react to certain situations."
