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Stokes joins list of famous leaves

England allrounder denied a century on day one at Lord's after leaving a Mark Craig delivery

Ben Stokes was within touching distance of notching a second Test century when he suffered an error of judgement on day one of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Playing the lead role in a 161-run partnership with Joe Root, Stokes was on 92 when he left a delivery from Black Caps off-spinner Mark Craig, which barrelled into his stumps.

In doing so, he joined some of the game’s top players on the list of cricket’s most famous leaves.

Report: Stokes and Root revive England

Perhaps the most memorable leave in recent memory was Glenn Maxwell’s during the KFC T20 Big Bash League last summer.

Playing for the Melbourne Stars, Maxwell shouldered arms at his first delivery from Brisbane Heat fast bowler Ryan Duffield, despite the fact the ball was tracking directly at his stumps.

Image Id: ~/media/E99956AD224844D4964F81A8F64DD2DEMaxwell leaves a ball during BBL|04 // Getty Images

After dancing down the wicket, Maxwell decided to leave the ball, watching on as it cannoned in to middle stump.

Commentator Adam Gilchrist described that as “the most extraordinary dismissal I’ve ever seen in the game”.

Mitchell Marsh produced one of his own, electing not to hit a ball from Ishant Sharma during the second Commonwealth Bank Test against India last December, while Australia skipper Michael Clarke left a delivery from New Zealand left-armer James Franklin during the 2007 World Cup.

Image Id: ~/media/394EA2F34F6A4B8BA0603B74A4FF4C0EClarke is bowled during the 2007 World Cup // Getty Images

One of the classics came courtesy of Rodney Hogg, who was expecting a bouncer from West Indian paceman Michael Holding at the WACA in 1984 but instead received a full toss that struck his wickets.

Shane Warne was out lbw after turning his back on a Harbhajan Singh delivery and being struck on the back of his legs in Chennai in 2001, while Mark Taylor was guilty of a couple of costly leaves in his career, including in 1993 when he danced down the wicket and let a Dipak Patel delivery go, only to be stumped by Tony Blain.

While Stokes was disappointed by his dismissal at Lord’s he put his innings into context, saying: “I bagged a pair last time I was here, so things couldn't have got any worse really.”

“It was obviously disappointing to get out so close to a hundred at Lord's.

“But the bigger picture is we're in a really good position now.”

Image Id: ~/media/16800CFF83D5420E8F3D9FD7E0D42146Stokes walks off the ground at Lord's // Getty Images

In July last year, Stokes was out for a duck in each innings of the Lord's Test, a match India won by 95 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.

Stokes, in the thick of a run of low scores for England in all formats, was dropped and it wasn't until last month that he resumed his Test career, against the West Indies in the Caribbean.