Ben Stokes double strike key as England beat South Africa inside three days

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing

Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news

Thanks for signing up to the
Sport email

Ben Stokes produced the crucial double strike to set England on course for a three-day thrashing of South Africa at Old Trafford.

England romped home in the second Test by an innings and 85 runs – an even bigger margin than the one they lost by in similarly crushing fashion last week at Lord’s – as they flattened the tourists for 179.

And it was captain Stokes who once again proved his inspirational all-round qualities, following up his fine century on day two with a long spell of bloody-minded brilliance with ball in hand.

Fourth-wicket pair Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen had successfully sucked the heat out of England after a strong start from the hosts, blocking their way in a determined stand of 87 in 261 balls.

With inspiration in short supply it fell to Stokes to break their will as he removed the pair in successive overs at the start of the evening session.

Recommended



His decisive moment came in the middle of a draining 14-over stint either side of the tea break, as flogged himself for the cause and came up trumps.

Ben Stokes took the key wicket to break South Africa’s best partnership

With his work done he tossed the new ball to James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, who finished things off in a blaze of glory by taking the last five wickets for just seven runs in the space of just 30 deliveries.

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}

By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}

By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Source: Read Full Article