Record-breaking Ben Stokes dazzles with double century for England at Newlands

England all-rounder Ben Stokes wowed the Newlands crowd in Cape Town on Sunday by scoring the second fastest double century in the history of Test cricket.

Stokes moved to 204 not out by lunch on day two of the second Test against South Africa with a flurry of boundaries after finishing day one unbeaten on 74.

At the other end Jonny Bairstow is five runs shy of his maiden Test hundred, but the Yorkshireman was completely outshone by his teammate on a memorable morning in bright sunshine at Newlands.

Stokes struck a total of 15 boundaries and six sixes in the session, reaching both his 100 and double-hundred and breaking several records along the way.

His 163-ball 200 was second to only New Zealand’s Nathan Astle’s 153-ball effort in 2002, while his total is the highest-ever by an England number six.

He also set new marks for the the quickest English hundred against South Africa (105 balls), the fastest 150 by an Englishman in Tests (135 balls) and the most individual runs before lunch in a Test (130).

England scored a total of 196 runs in the session to reach 513-5 at lunch, meaning the tourists are on course for another victory against the world’s top-ranked Test side