Ben Stokes Hits Fastest Double Century For England In Cape Town

England cricketer Ben Stokes has hit the headlines this morning (January 4^th) after hitting the fastest double century for his country on the second day of the second Test against South Africa over in Cape Town.

This is also the first time that an England player batting at No 6 or lower has succeeded in scoring 150 or more since 1998. His double century was also the second fastest in history, with Stokes’ achievements only overshadowed by Nathan Astle of New Zealand’s, who reached a Test double hundred more quickly back in 2002.

In his 21^st test, Stokes resumed on 74 and made it to 200 in 163 balls, beating Ian Botham’s record of 220 balls and just shy of Astle’s 153.

Thanks to Stokes and teammate Jonny Bairstow, who added an unbeaten 150 to the score sheet, England came out on top and declared 629 for six, with nine overs remaining at the South Africans on the second day (January 3^rd). In response, South Africa reached stumps on 141 for two, helping to repair some of the damage inflicted by Stokes – and also serving as a testament to just how good the batting surface is at Newlands.

Here at Radford Ezynet, we have installed artificial matting and other surfaces all over the world, including at Cricket South Africa’s Indoor Cricket Academy in Pretoria where we helped to create a state-of-the-art practice facility thanks to the introduction of our artificial carpets and retractable netting systems. Get in touch with us to find out more about our products and services.