Breaking News: Ben Stokes’ brutal, record-breaking 258 for England against South Africa in 2nd Test
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04-01-2016, 03:04 AM
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Ben Stokes’ brutal, record-breaking 258 for England against South Africa in 2nd Test
Ben Stokes may just be on the cusp of greatness, toeing the line of Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff to continue the legacy of great all-rounders that England have produced over the years.
Stokes walked out to bat when England were 167 for 4, losing two wickets in as many balls, and the South Africans snatched the momentum after the initial hard work put in by Alex Hales, Alastair Cook and Joe Root. Carnage would be a gross understatement to describe what ensued in the second day at Newlands, Cape Town. Jonny Bairstow was lending good support to the New Zealand-born all-rounder in the middle and the duo helped England finish the first day’s play strongly. Stokes reserved special treatment for Chris Morris’ bowling, smashing five fours in the space of seven balls towards the close of the opening day’s play. He carried on from where he left. At one stage, Stokes was mistiming sixes over the boundary. He just went hell for leather, and it looked like England had a definitive plan to unsettle the South African bowlers by scoring runs quickly. Boundaries flowed everywhere and there was very little a captain could do to stem the run flow. Even a world class pace exponent like Morne Morkel was dispatched to the boundary ropes with utmost disdain. Stokes reached his double century of just 163 balls, falling short of the all time record set by Nathan Astle by just 10 balls. Later in his knock, he targeted off-spinner Dane Piedt as the ball kept travelling over the boundary ropes at utmost will. The shot of his innings is a full-blooded pull off Kagiso Rabada, which went miles over the deep mid-wicket fence and out of the ground. Stokes and Bairstow amassed a 399-run partnership, the second highest in the all-time charts for England. Ben Stokes scored the second fastest double hundred, plundering the South African bowlers for 11 sixes and 30 fours. Guests cannot see images and links in the messages. Please register to forum by clicking Register Here to see images. |
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