The Top Five Ben Stokes Innings

258 vs South Africa (2nd test, Newlands, 2016)

Ben Stokes walked in when England were 167/4. The runs on the board helped him to chance his arms. Chris Morris’ down-the-leg delivery helped Stokes to score his first boundary of the innings. What followed was a complete Ben Stokes show.

The South African spinner Dane Piedt’s non-turning deliveries were swept like they were destined to be, by the left hander to score quick runs. It helped him get settled, and Stokesy reached his 50 in 70 balls.

He was just unstoppable after the half-century. His classy temperament was so visible when he straight drove Chris Morris’ over-pitched delivery, and later when he pulled Kagiso Rabada’s short ball to the square leg boundary.

At the end of the Day-1, Stokes was at 74.

Stokes owned the morning of the Day-2. He started off with an aggressive note and made 23 runs off the first 11 balls he faced to officially announce his century at the Newlands.

Boundaries started to flow after Stokes got to his 100. The lofted drives against the steaming Rabada and Chris Morris landed on the grass banks and beyond them.

When the innocuous spinners Van Zyl and Piedt were brought back into the attack, it became more sort of a street cricket for Stokes. He played shots all around the ground as an all-rounder including his impressive reverse sweep.

The English all-rounder brought his double century with a hard pull shot. He celebrated the milestone, which came in just 163 balls, with a punch on the air.

He was just unstoppable with his boundaries as running became the last thing he wanted. A magnificent pull of Kagiso Rabada’s lazy short pitch delivery sailed over the boundary ropes and brought him to the number 250.

Finally it took a spectacular throw from AB de Villiers to dismiss Ben Stokes. The whole of Newlands cricket ground gave a standing applause, when the English all-rounder walked back with 258 runs off 198 balls.