England star all-rounder Ben Stokes is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket, across formats. In the second Test against West Indies in Old Trafford, he achieved a rare feat. Stokes became the second England and fourth overall cricketer to reach an elite club of those players who have scored 400-plus runs, 10 centuries, and taken 150+ wickets in the longest format of the game.
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Garry Sobers – 8032+26+235 (93), Ian Botham – 5200+14+383 (102) and Jacques Kallis – 13289+45+292 (166) are the other three. He achieved this feat during his brilliant innings of 176.
While in the first Test, he had become the second-fastest man to get a double of 4000 Test runs and 150 wickets. The New Zealand-born Stokes became the second fastest to get to this milestone.
While Stokes achieved this in 64 Tests, West Indian Gary Sobers did it in 63 Tests. Now he is esteemed company of players like Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Jacques and Daniel Vettori.
Earlier on day 2, Stokes’ knock and Dom Sibley’s 120 - the duo shared 260 for the fourth wicket - powered England to 469 for 9 declared, leaving West Indies a tricky hour to bat before stumps.
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West Indies’ openers began stubbornly before first-change bowler Curran trapped Campbell lbw for 12, leaving West Indies 32 for 1, trailing by 437 runs.
Off-spinner Roston Chase took 5-172 in 44 overs as he again troubled England, having taken a Test-best 8-60 against them in Barbados last year during a victory that helped the West Indies regain the Wisden Trophy.
Sibley’s hundred was one of the slowest in Tests by an England batsman, the opener batting for 471 minutes — nearly eight hours — to complete a 312-ball century featuring a mere fours.