Dogged Hashim Amla holds up England

His 163-ball double century is the second-fastest in Test history, behind only Nathan Astle (153) and easily beating Sir Ian Botham’s England record of 220.

Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who was 150 not out, had a record partnership of 399, with Stokes claiming the fastest 250 in Test cricket, before he was run out.

– In reaching 200 Stokes became the first England player to score a double-century batting at number six or lower.

South Africa opener Dean Elgar revealed his side were left reeling by the relentless ball striking of Stokes and Bairstow.

Stokes thought he had when umpire Aleem Dar gave De Villiers out on 85.

Du Plessis is under pressure to get some runs after a disastrous tour of India, while he also failed in the first Test against England in Durban. “After he dropped the catch he wasn’t going to miss the stumps”, Stokes said, although he admitted it had been a dream innings, far surpassing his previous highest Test score of 120 against Australia at Perth two seasons ago.

Hashim Amla scored his 24th Test hundred. By the end of the first hour, which yielded 103 runs off 13 overs, there were five men on the boundary.

The pair put on 58 runs in 29 overs in the session, and their partnership now stands at 114, but the Proteas still find themselves an intimidating 430 behind the English first innings score of 629/6 declared.

Although he was overshadowed by Stokes, Bairstow played a fine innings in registering a maiden Test century off 161 balls.

For the seventh time in his Test career, Amla brought up his 150 and this time it took him 310 balls. Just how good was clear from the fact that only four wickets have fallen in the last six sessions and two days of the match, two of them to run outs.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith said that an announcement on his rejoining the team in a consulting role to help boost confidence and impart ideas was premature and he was still considering the offer. The batsman drove Morris to long-off and the ball went through Morkel’s hands.

The hosts were 2-199 at lunch, in reply to England’s first innings total of 6-(dec)629, still 430 runs behind.

“People don’t mean to drop catches and if you let your shoulders slump in situations like that it can be hard to come back from it”, said Finn, who finally dismissed De Villiers caught at mid-wicket for 88 and claimed 1-82 from 26 overs.

They could easily have been three wickets down with Amla dropped by Jimmy Anderson at slip off the bowling of Joe Root.