England's Ben Stokes reveals what motivated match-winning Ashes heroics at Headingley

The Durham allrounder struck 135 not out to produce the most stunning of victories in Leeds - and was inspired by an outspoken member of the Australia team

Ben Stokes' stunning century which delivered victory in the third Ashes Test at Headingley was inspired by Australia's David Warner, England's heroic allrounder has revealed.

The Durham star produced the most remarkable innings played by an Englishman, scoring 135 not out as the hosts successfully chased 359 to win - the highest score they've ever made to win a Test.

Though Australia went on to retain the Ashes, the knock was the latest dramatic intervention from Stokes who had earlier in the summer guided England to World Cup glory against New Zealand.

Stokes' titanic innings had begun with a solid rearguard towards the end of day three, as England closed three wickets down and the 28-year-old unbeaten on two.

He also had to contend with constant jibes from Warner standing in the slips, sledging which he has now indicated was among his motivations when embarking on guiding England to a historic one-wicket win.

"I had extra personal motivation due to some things that were said to me out on the field on the evening of day three when I was trying to get through to stumps," he wrote in his new book On Fire, serialised by The Daily Mirror.

"A few of the Aussies were being quite chirpy, but in particular David Warner seemed to have his heart set on disrupting me.

Drama embraces Test cricket like an old friend as Ben Stokes completes mission impossible

"He just wouldn’t shut up for most of my time out there. I could accept it from just about any other opponent. Truly. Not from him, though.

"The changed man he was adamant he’d become, the one that hardly said boo to a goose and even went as far as claiming he had been re-nicknamed ‘Humble’ by his Australia teammates, had disappeared. 

"Maybe his lack of form in his new guise had persuaded him that he needed to get the bull back?

"Although he’d enjoyed a prolific World Cup campaign, he had struggled with the bat at the start of the Ashes and was perhaps turning to his old ways to try to get the best out of himself. The nice-guy act had done nothing for his runs column.

"I muttered ‘Bloody Warner’ a few times as I was getting changed. The more time passed, the more it spurred me on. All kinds of ideas of what I might say to him at the end of the game went through my head. In the end, I vowed to do nothing other than shake his hand and say ‘well done’ if I could manufacture the situation.

"You always shake the hands of every member of the opposing team at the end of a match. But this one would give me the greatest sense of satisfaction."

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