He narrowly missed out on achieving the fastest 200, taking 10 balls longer than former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle.
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England’s Ben Stokes react as he makes two hundred runs during their second cricket Test against South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.
Stokes took to the tiring South African bowling in the last hour of a hot day, seeing off the threat of the new ball with a cavalier approach that gave the advantage to England who lead the four-Test series 1-0.
South Africa’s bowlers were put to the sword on the second day at Newlands, bleeding runs as England amassed 629 for six declared in their first innings. Eddie Paynter’s 243 in Durban and John Edrich 219 on the same ground are the other two in the list.
Stokes shared a Test record sixth-wicket stand of 399 with Jonny Bairstow. He is the joint-15th fastest in Tests, after reaching his landmark in 172 innings. He scored 130 runs before lunch, a Test record, as England added 196 runs to their overnight total of 317 for five.
“They haven’t got that many runs under their belt so we’re looking to attack them hard and clean up the tail”.
The sensational innings came from only 198 balls and included 30 fours and 11 sixes.
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.
“They have supported me all through my career, and to have them here in Cape Town is lovely and it is my mum’s birthday on the last day of the Test, so hopefully we can cap off a great game”.
The 20-year-old Rabada, replacing the injured Dale Steyn, took two wickets in as many balls either side of the interval. South Africa captain Amla also reached his milestone in the same Test. Both the batsmen batting together with Amla scoring his 24th Test hundred. “We don’t want to play badly and we know there’s good and bad around every corner corner”.
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De Villiers, who has played a number of his trademark drives this morning had moved to his half-ton with a boundary off the bowling of Moeen Ali and in the process has moved past 8 000 Test runs.
