Ben Stokes' New Zealand father has questioned the boundary-countback rule that handed World Cup final glory to England, believing the trophy should have been shared.
Gerard Stokes, a former Kiwis rugby league international, was immensely proud of his son's man-of-the-match role in the dramatic decider at Lord's.
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But he remains a New Zealand supporter at heart and was left bemused by the rule that left England victorious, despite both teams scoring the same total after 50 overs (241) and then again in the 'super over' (15).
The hosts were deemed winners, courtesy of scoring more boundaries in the match.
"I'm not sure about something that important hanging on that," Stokes told NZME.
"They could have shared the trophy, but that doesn't seem to be how things are done these days.
"It has to be one of the greatest cricket games ever played, but I think it's a shame there has to be a loser."
Christchurch-born Ben Stokes lived in New Zealand until age 12, before the family shifted to England, when Gerard took up a rugby league coaching job.
The youngster aligned with England and stayed on to become one of the world's finest allrounders, after Gerard returned to Christchurch in 2013.
After staying up through the night to see his son score an ice-cool 84 not out and then shine again in the super over, Stokes Snr said Ben proved he had become a more complete batsman.
"If you can handle that situation, you are at the top of your powers," he said.
"I think Ben showed a Kiwi attitude in an England side... there is a bit of Kiwi in how he plays, of never giving up.
"It was tailor-made for Ben, from what he showed in the whole tournament, with his ability to hang in there.
"I could only think about how far he has come, from being a boy in a small English village to being man of the match in a World Cup final."
AAP
