They also put up they 50-run stand for the third wicket before finally getting off the field at stumps.
Advertisement
Stokes (258) and Jonny Bairstow (150 not out) dominated the Proteas’ inexperienced bowling attack on Sunday with some outstanding shots, both men sending the ball to the boundary on regular occasions in Cape Town.
The sixth-wicket stand of 399 between Stokes and Bairstow is the highest in Test history, beating New Zealand pair Kane Williamson and BJ Watling’s 365 against Sri Lanka a year earlier. And he followed up his pyrotechnics with the bat with the wicket of Dean Elgar as South Africa closed day two on 141-2, still 488 runs behind.
Stokes hit 11 sixes, the most in a Test innings by an England cricketer.
England’s Ben Stokes has had a fair crack at trying to beat Nathan Astle’s record for the fastest test double century, as he obliterated South Africa in their second test in Cape Town.
England Captain Alastair Cook gave his teammate Ben Stokes the chance to reach a triple century on the second day at Newlands. However, it must be noted that all streaming sites are not safe and vieweres must maintain caution and not fall trap into those illegal and fraudulant websites, who also charge the viewers for streaming online.
England missed two potentially costly catches in the second test because of the peculiarities of the layout of the Newlands ground, fast bowler Steven Finn said on Monday.
South Africa was still 339 runs behind England’s mammoth first-innings total of 629-6 declared. He scored the most runs in the opening session of play, Stokes 130 runs broke the previous record of 123 runs scored by Les Ames, an English keeper-batsman, in 1935, coincidentally against South Africa.
His innings came to an end with an utmost chaos but not before Stokes had written himself a place in cricket history with the second fastest double century off just 163 balls.
“It’s nice to hold records but I’d rather be involved with a winning team than have really good averages”, said Stokes.
Bairstow’s unbeaten 150 came nearly 18 years to the day since his dad, ex-England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, took his own life. It was just one of them days.
“It’s probably the best day of my life, I reckon, ” Bairstow said.
“There was a lot of talk here and there so I am delighted to get over the line”.
Advertisement
De Villiers was dropped on 5 by Joe Root at second slip off James Anderson.
