I know a lot of people don't follow it here but it needs to be represented on behalf of the old farts like me that love to watch a good test match....

 

Also it needs to be shared the magic that Ben Stokes, the England and Durham player is producing this morning against South Africa.

 

England are 1-0 up at the moment after an excellent win last week off the back of some brilliant bowling from Broad, Finn and Moeen and in the second test they are currently 484-5 in their first innings of the second test as we are only in the morning session of day two.

 

Root has scored 50, Hales scores his first test fifty as well but England where at 228-5 when Stokes and Bairstow, our 6 and 7 came to the crease, yesterday afternoon.

 

Since then they have scored 256 in 235 balls, Stokes has 188 from 151 balls after hitting his 150 quicker then any other English man, he is the first number 6 to score 150 and has also just became the man with the highest score for England at Newlands, beating Jack Hobbs' 187 in 1910. Bairstow is on 84 from 122 balls as well and if these two carry on they could well take the game away from SA now.

 

To think, this is the number 1 test side in the world in their own back yard and England are doing this to them? Craziness.

I love the fact that England are now a really young side that can only grow and get better together. Aldo the coaches view to smash it have a go and it foes not matter if you get out if you took it to the max is great. They now have freedom of expression. Stokes has always been a good player he just needed the trust of his coach I really believe great times could come again for England.

They have really been excellent today, they have scored 199 in only 150 balls in the morning session, Stokes has 200 in 164 balls, he actually scored 130 runs in this morning alone.

 

Bairstow is really pushing his claim to stay in the side ahead of Buttler as well as keeper/batsman - he's only 5 runs off a century as well now as we approach lunch on day 2.

 

513-5 at lunch, South Africa look dead in the field and short of options in attack and on pitches that promote pace our bowling lineup and our batting one looks comfortable and formidable with the ability to bat all the way down to number 9 at the moment with Mooen and Broad capable of some lusty batting as well.

 

If Mooen gets better as a bowler and Rashid kicks on there is a huge amount of potential in this side and squad of players - we just need to toughen up the batters against spin because that was our undoing in India and in the UAE against Pakistan.

Some stats on this remarkable morning of Cricket in South Africa...

• Most runs in a pre-lunch Test session by a single batsman (130 by Stokes)
  
• England's highest Test partnership for the sixth-wicket
  
• The partnership has the highest run rate of any in Tests over 250 runs
  
• First England century at Newlands since 1965
  
• The highest score for an England batsman at Newlands, beating Jack Hobbs' 187 in 1910
  
• The highest score by an England number six. The previous best was Graeme Hick's 178 against India in Mumbai in 1986.
  
• The last England player to score 100 runs in a session before lunch was Ian Bell, against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street in 2005
  
• Stokes 200 was the second fastest in test cricket history.
  

I'm not joking when I say this, it isn't hyperbole at all but in the 20 years I watched the England cricket team... from way back to the summer of '95 against the Windies until now, this inning by Stokes has been the best attacking and pure batting innings I have seen from an England player.

 

Pietersen's old heroics used to be, the fastest ODI hundered by Banger against Pakistan in 2004 as well was up there along with some of the gritty and grinding hundreds Trott, Cook and Collingwood made in Australia in the past but this has been magical.

 

EDIT: The brutality continues for the SA bowlers, Stokes is now on 246, Bairstow has made his maiden 100 in tests and is 143 and they dropped him when it should have been a given on 138.

 

300 partnership is up, the quickest in Test history, the 350 partnership came up soon after, also the quickest in test history and they've made 372 for the sixth wicket so far, a record in test as well. England are currently, 610-5 and if and when one of these two men falls I expect a declaration.

Edited January 3, 20169 yr by Evil Gringo

Stokes just hit 250 with a six, the fastest in test history.

 

He then hit a six off the next ball before then getting run out in a weird fashion. He hits another huge one, gets dropped by Villers and then he was waking down the pitch, thinking he was going to be caught and Villers recovers, slinging the ball at the stumps as he was out the crease, falling on 258 from 198 balls.

 

Bairstow then takes the strike, hits a six and then a single to get his 150 and Cook declares, England on 629-6 at the close of the innings.

 

Jesus what a day of cricket so far. What an innings and what a performance from both these men. If England don't win this match it will be the biggest shame in Cricket history. South Africa look finished on their feet already.

Edited January 3, 20169 yr by Evil Gringo

It's the fact that then South Africa then tried to force it and have lost a wicket. This match has been the most enjoyable by an England side it is over bar the shouting. South Africa seem to have no response they are punch drunk.

South Africa now at 123-2, Stokes get Elgar out before he reached his 50 but then Root dropped AB De Villiers at second slip for 5 off Anderson. He is now on 24 and the pair look to have dug in on a pitch that does offer much if you play with patience.

This test match looks unreal. I thought the last one was really well played by England but Stokes and Bairstow have blown SA away.

 

Is there highlights on Terrestial TV? I dont have Sky Sports.

There isn't I'm afraid. Channel 4 and then Channel 5 used to carry them but both have decided that low cost, low risk reality TV is the future of their programming.

 

The Sky Sports website should let you see video highlights though.

South Africa's too best batsman, Amala and De Villiers are digging in and proving this is actually a very good batting wicket, there is no movement at all, very little grip and spin as yet either as it is only day three of the match.

 

SA are 196-2, Amala on 91, De Villiers on 53. It will take a mistake to get them out, like the one Anderson forced De Villier in yesterday on 5 when Root dropped him and then this morning, when Root was given a little spell and Amala on 75 edged a drive to Anderson.... who dropped it.

 

Catches win matches people... catches win matches!

Well I was right, despite the heroics of Stokes it ended up being a draw, although England being England decided to give the South African's some hope with some pap batting in the second innings. Amala hit a wonderful double hundred of his own to help South Africa regain some composure.

 

But this test has been different, this test has a lively pitch and after getting South Africa out for a steady 313 England then got to 323 but a lot of the top order fell cheaply, except Stokes (58), Root (110) and Bairstow (45) to give England a 10 run lead...

 

Then Broad takes 5 for 1 run inside 5 overs, Taylor makes two amazing catches at fine leg, Stokes then chips in with two wickets and Finn one as well and England have South Africa down from 23-0 to 69-8. South Africa could be done for tonight, England with a REALLY short run chase (currently 59 runs) and poised to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 4 match series.

 

Who said test cricket was dead?