England vs Bangladesh: Ben Stokes ready to help ease captaincy burden on stand-in Jos Buttler
Stokes helped galvanise England after speaking to the side in an in-play break during Friday's series opener against Bangladesh
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Your support makes all the difference.Ben Stokes is happy to ease some of the England captaincy burden on stand-in Jos Buttler after his mid-match team-talk triggered a Bangladesh collapse in the first one-day international.
The tourists were on the brink of going one down on Friday evening as Imrul Kayes and Shakib Al Hasan took Bangladesh to 271 for four in pursuit of 310 for victory.
But Stokes, who was promoted to vice-captain after Buttler was given the top job for the three matches against the Tigers in Eoin Morgan's absence, took charge of a huddle during a break in play and his words had a galvanising effect.
Jake Ball took two wickets in two balls and Bangladesh wilted thereafter, handing England an improbable 21-run win.
Stokes, who told his team-mates to keep fighting to the end, said: "It's something I would always do. I felt like the situation needed it to happen.
"The two guys were in and they were going to win it unless we got them out. A talk like that switches everyone back on rather than thinking, 'Oh this game is going to go unless we get a wicket'. After that, everyone went away and thought, 'Right, let's get two and try to kill the game off'."
Stokes revealed a chat with Paul Farbrace prior to the tour led to the assistant coach telling him to lighten the heavy workload on wicketkeeper-batsman Buttler when he sees fit.
Stokes said: "Farby mentioned to me how much Jos has on his plate as keeper and captain. He gave me the freedom of if I think of something, rather than going to Jos, if I think that it's necessary then I'll go and talk it through with the bowler, or if there are any field placings.
"I have enough experience under Eoin and playing a lot of ODI cricket now. Jos is pretty happy for me to do stuff like that but he is the one making the big calls.
"You don't want to be stepping too far out of your box, but if I feel the time is right and it's needed then I will do it. He's the man in command, so I'm leaving the big calls down to him."
Stokes also starred with the bat at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, registering his maiden ODI hundred.
The Durham all-rounder had not hit the heights in a format that seemed tailor-made for his dynamic batting, but he showed signs of flowering with half-centuries in the last two matches against Pakistan before taking his chance against Bangladesh.
Reaching three figures in England's first international in the subcontinent bodes well for Stokes and England, who move on to India for a five-Test series immediately after finishing their tour of Bangladesh.
Stokes said: "I said to myself I wanted to try to get this first ODI (hundred) before 2016 finished and I have managed to do it but now I have done that, I won't just be happy with one. I want a couple more in the games we have coming up.
"It's a start. I'm not going to sit here saying I'll get a hundred every game but it gives you confidence knowing with the winter we have ahead of us, that I can perform in alien conditions. It's a start and I'll be trying to build on it."
England will be back in action at the same stadium on Sunday, when Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett face late fitness tests.
Bairstow has a hip flexor problem which he suffered during Bangladesh's innings on Friday. Even if Plunkett has recovered from a sore toe, he will struggle to break into the team after his replacement Ball became the first England bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on ODI debut.
PA.
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