Fuelled by Stokes, foiled by Smith - England headline 2019 act

FILE PHOTO: Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup Final - New Zealand v England - Lord's, London, Britain - July 14, 2019 England's Ben Stokes during super over Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes and relentless run accumulator Steve Smith could not be more different in their approaches to the game but both roared back from personal adversity to bestride an extraordinary cricketing year.

Nobody doubted England's title credentials in their home World Cup after the spectacular metamorphosis of Eoin Morgan's side into a white-ball juggernaut since their embarrassing exit from the 2015 tournament.