Cape Town carnage by the numbers

163 – The number of balls taken by Ben Stokes to reach 200, making it the second-fastest double hundred in the history of Test cricket. Stokes fell 10 balls short of New Zealand's Nathan Astle, whose double century from 153 balls against England in Christchurch in 2002 remains the fastest of the 348 scores of 200 more in Test history. Stokes’ innings was the fastest 200 by an England batsman, beating Ian Botham’s record of 220 balls against India at The Oval in 1982, while he also became the first left-hander to score 200 at better than a run-a-ball. The previous fastest 200 by a southpaw was Adam Gilchrist’s 212-ball double against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2002.

WATCH: Stokes punishes South Africa at Newlands

196 – The Stokes carnage didn’t stop after he posted his 200; he went on to score 250 in just 196 balls, the fastest 250 in Test history. He surpassed the record of India's Virender Sehwag, who reached the milestone in 207 balls against Sri Lanka in Mumbai (Brabourne) in 2009. Two of the five fastest 250s in history have come in the past month; Australia’s Adam Voges reached the figure in 269 balls against West Indies in Hobart in December, the fifth-fastest Test 250 in history. Sandwiched between Stokes and Voges are three scores of 250 or more by Sehwag.

Fastest scores of 250+ in Test cricket

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258 – The number of runs scored by Ben Stokes, the highest individual innings by a No.6 batsman in Test history. The previous record was by Australia’s Doug Walters, who scored 250 against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1977.

130 – The number of runs scored by Stokes in the morning session of the second day, the most by any batsman in a pre-lunch session. Stokes started the day on 74 and went to lunch on 204 not out. The previous record was 123 runs by England’s Les Ames, also scored against South Africa, at The Oval in 1935. Stokes also became the first batsman in 80 years to score 100 runs in the pre-lunch session against South Africa.

Quick Single: Stokes show leaves South Africa punch drunk

399 – The partnership between Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, the highest stand for the sixth-wicket in the history of Test cricket, beating the 365-run partnership between BJ Watling and Kane Williamson just a year ago against Sri Lanka in Wellington. The Stokes-Bairstow partnership was also the highest for any wicket in South Africa, breaking the 385 between Greg Blewett and Steve Waugh in Johannesburg in 1997. Interestingly, the 399-run stand is the second-highest partnership in Tests to be ended by a run out. The highest remains the 446 scored by West Indies duo Sir Conrad Hunte and Sir Garfield Sobers against Pakistan at Kingston in 1957-58. 

8.03 – England’s run rate on day two. They amassed 312 runs in just 38.5 overs at 8.03 runs per over, the highest run rate for any team in a day’s play of Test cricket (minimum: 200 runs in the day). The previous highest was 6.80 by South Africa, when they scored 340 in 50 overs against Zimbabwe also at the Newlands in 2005.

453 – The number of runs scored on the second day at Newlands (312 by England, 141 by South Africa), the highest in a day’s play in all the Tests played in South Africa. The previous record was the 450 scored on day one of the match between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg in 1921.  

11 – The number of sixes hit by Ben Stokes in his innings, the joint-second most in a Test innings and the most by an England batsman. The only player to have hit more than 11 sixes in an innings is Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, who scored 12 against Zimbabwe in Sheikhpura in 1996. Three other batsmen have hit 11 sixes in an innings; Nathan Astle, Matthew Hayden and Brendon McCullum (twice). The previous record of the most sixes in an innings by an England batsman was the 10 hit by Wally Hammond against New Zealand in Auckland in 1933. 

14 – The number of sixes hit by England in Cape Town, the most they have hit in a Test innings. Apart from Stokes, there were maximums from Jonny Bairstow (2) and Nick Compton (1). The previous England record was 11 sixes against New Zealand in Auckland in 1933.

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Newlands - a tranquil setting for a destructive innings // Getty

4 – The number of 250-plus scores posted in Tests in South Africa, all of which have been scored by left-handed batsmen. Gary Kirsten (275 against England in Durban in 1999), Graeme Pollock (274 against Australia in Durban in 1970), Stephen Fleming (262 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2006) and Stokes are the four men on the list. The next highest score in a Test in South Africa is the 243 scored by England’s Eddie Paynter in Durban in 1939. Paynter was also a left-handed batsman. 

6 – The number of sixes Ben Stokes hit off Proteas spinner Dane Piedt, the joint-most by a batsman against a single bowler in a Test innings since 2000. The other batsmen to have hit six maximums off a bowler this century are Chris Gayle, Andy Blignaut, Shahid Afridi and MS Dhoni.

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