Englishman scores second fastest Test double century England all-rounder Ben Stokes smashed the fastest double hundred in his country’s Test match history – and the second-fastest of all – in a destructive innings at Cape Town against South Africa, coming off just 163 balls.
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South Africa opener Dean Elgar revealed his side were left reeling by the relentless ball striking of Stokes and Bairstow.
South Africa trailed the touring side by 339 runs, 140 short of avoiding the follow-on, with Amla on 132 not out and Faf du Plessis on 15.
The same stroke brought up his 8000th run in Tests.
This sedate day, which saw just 212 runs scored, was a complete contrast, Amla biding his time to play himself back into form after a run of form that had seen him average just 22 in Test cricket past year and go 18 global innings without even a half-century.
Stokes’ thing appears to be trying to make as many runs as he can as quickly as possible, a luxury he said he has because of England’s deep batting lineup and the ability of the players around him to step up if he fails. It came in 10 balls more than Nathan Astle’s effort for New Zealand against England in Christchurch in 2002, which remains the fastest in Test history.
South Africa had moved onto 268 for three, still 361 runs in arrears, yet had taken time out of the game. “One wicket in a day is obviously not ideal for what we wanted from this day… but we’re still a long way ahead in the game”. Bairstow was unbeaten on 150 when England finally put top-ranked South Africa out of their misery and declared before tea on the second day at Newlands.
But overall, England still had control of the test and the series, and South Africa face an uphill task.
England are now leading the four-match Test series 1-0 following their 241-run win over the hosts in the opening match in Durban.
Root made 50 before giving debutant Chris Morris his first Test wicket when he nibbled at a ball and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
South Africa’s sour mood was rather summed up when Morne Morkel spurned the chance to remove Bairstow for 138 by dropping what appeared to be a relatively straightforward catch and watching on in horror as the ball trickled away for four.
“I didn’t want to hang around and just nudge my way to 100 because I’d be a little bit annoyed with myself if I took the selfish route”, he said.
In the 64th over, James Anderson (0-53) dropped Amla (157 not out) in the slips off the bowling of Joe Root (0-12). De Villiers was given out leg before wicket to Ben Stokes by umpire Aleem Dar when he had 85, but De Villiers immediately sought a review which showed the ball had gone off an inside edge onto his pad.
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It was du Plessis’ first Test fifty in more than a year.
