Bairstow notched an emotional first test century, with England declaring once he got to 150 off 191 balls with 18 fours and two sixes.
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Records tumbled on one of the more extraordinary mornings in the annals of Test cricket after an innings from Ben Stokes that was nothing short of superlative.
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Stokes powered to the second-fastest double century in tests in an astonishing display of dominance over the struggling but still top-ranked Proteas, propelling England from 317-5 overnight to its huge first-innings total in less than 40 overs of power hitting on the second day at Newlands.
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Stokes and Bairstow’s partnership ended at 399 – the highest sixth-wicket stand in Test history – and was the fastest 300 partnership in Tests, beating the record of India’s Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid from 2006.
184 – Stokes becomes the 184th player to score a Test double century. England had removed both openers: Stiaan van Zyl with a run out and Dean Elgar for 44 to give Stokes a wicket to go with his brilliant contribution with the bat.
With Bairstow rotating the strike intelligently, reaching his seventh Test fifty off 69 balls, England added 60 runs in the first six overs and the rate barely slowed as the next seven overs brought 43 more runs.
England reached the lunch break on 76 for 1, and there was the first glimpse of South Africa’s nervousness soon after.
Stokes and Jonny Bairstow kept up the blistering assault for the entire first session, and laid into the South African bowlers again after lunch.
Stokes’ catalog of big blows brought a series of stunning stats.
England batsman Alex Hales on Test Match Special: “When the second new ball was taken the game was pretty much in the balance, but the way Stokesie played has probably given us the upper hand”. The next 50 runs took him just 28 balls, giving him the second fastest double hundred in Test history.
Stokes reached the close unbeaten on 74, with Bairstow on 39, and will start tomorrow looking to make the significant contributions requested by Head Coach Trevor Bayliss before the match. His 250 off 196 balls was quicker than anyone else.
Stokes made a rapid 74 not out with 11 fours and a six – and England racked up 150 in the final session – to ensure the tourists had a good opening day at Newlands.
The absence of Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott from the home attack, replaced by 20-year-old Kagiso Rabada and Morris, was also a factor.
That was until Stokes set about attacking the second new ball, which at one point was costing South Africa nine runs an over.
That put England, already 1-0 ahead in the series, in complete command at one of South Africa’s favorite grounds, and where England hasn’t won since 1957. He was caught at second slip by AB de Villiers, off Morne Morkel’s bowling.
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On a hot, sunny day, Cook and Hales started cautiously, scoring 11 runs off the first six overs before Rabada came into the attack and was hit for two fours off his first two balls by Hales. Rabada had 3-175 for the best figures.
