Ben Stokes staged one of the great redemption acts of British sporting history on Sunday as he blasted England to a glorious first Cricket World Cup less than a year after he was cleared of his part in a nightclub brawl.

The New Zealand-born 28-year-old, with a father who joked he was cheering on the opposition, staged a one-men batting salvo to ensure England secured a fightback to match the most dramatic ever produced in team sport.

His heroic performance in forcing the side to an unprecedented tie before snatching the title from New Zealand in a six-ball shoot-out came almost a year to the day since his Bristol Crown Court affray case threatened to drag the reputation of his sport to an all-time low.

Stokes was subsequently cleared and, following his exploits yesterday, he was listed by bookmakers at 2-1 to become BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He could also be named along with his teammates in the New Year's Honours.

It was a first trophy for England after 44 years and 12 editions of the tournament. "It's moments like that you live for as a professional cricketer," Stokes said of the team's triumph.