Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.
Venue- Newlands, Cape Town [2-6 January, 2016].
In December 2015, English Cricket Team toured South Africa to play 4 Tests, 5 ODIs and 2 T20 Internationals. The Visitors won the first test at Durban comfortably and now the action of the series reached Cape Town. On a batting friendly wicket English Captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bat first. The English started off decently. However, they lost 3 quick wickets in between and at one stage were struggling at 223/5.
The game was on a knife-edge and this is when Jonny Bairstow joined Ben Stokes in the middle. It was necessary that the duo batted sensibly and took their team to a respective first innings score. However, soon they realized that in the current conditions attack would be the be the best form of defense. As a result, both of them started playing their shots. And Boy! In no time they turned the tables around.
Ben Stokes played one of the most destructive knocks in the history of test cricket as he scored a monumental 258 of just 198 deliveries. His innings comprised of 30 boundaries and 11 sixes. He literally smoked the Proteas Bowling Attack. There was literally no part of the ground where he did not score runs. Along with Bairstow he had a historic partnership of 399 runs. By the time Ben Stokes was dismissed the English Scorecard read 622/6. The English eventually declared at a score of 629/6 with Jonny Bairstow scoring an unbeaten 150 of 191 deliveries.
In response the Proteas scored 627 in their first innings (Declared at 627/7). Hashim Amla played a Captain's knock of 201, whereas Temba Bavuma too scored an unbeaten 102. Apart from Amla and Bavuma, AB de Villiers (88), Faf du Plessis (86) and Chris Morris (69) too made some valuable contributions.
At one stage in the English Second Innings it appeared that the Proteas can bowl them out and then chase the remaining total. However, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali batted sensibly in the final session and the test match ended in a draw.
To watch the knock of Ben Stokes, Click Here.
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