Stokes creates carnage in Cape Town

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow provided England's first sporting highlight of 2016 with a sensational 399-run stand on day two of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

Stokes lit up Newlands with one of the most dominant batting performances in living memory, mercilessly flogging the home attack on his way to 258 in 198 balls, including the second-fastest double century in Test history.

Quick Single: Stokes show has Proteas punch-drunk

Bairstow followed his lead with 150 not out, a maiden Test hundred, before the declaration came at 6-629.

It looked as though a shellshocked South Africa looked might fold when Stiaan van Zyl ran himself out for four but the Proteas finished a manic day in relative calm as AB de Villiers (25no) and Hashim Amla (64no) saw their side to 2-141.

Stokes, then took the wicket of Dean Elgar to complete what was one of the greatest days by an English cricketer on a foreign field.

Earlier he and Bairstow laid waste to the record books - and a bedraggled, bewildered bowling attack - chalking up a slew of new landmarks with their muscular free-hitting.

As well as Stokes moving second behind Nathan Astle's 153-ball marvel in the list of the fastest 200s of all time, he also recorded the top score by a Test No.6 and broke the English record for sixes in an innings with 11.

The partnership was the best ever between a sixth-wicket pair, England's second-highest ever for any wicket and also the fastest 300 stand in history.

South Africa were without the injured trio of Dale Steyn, Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander, but England, and Stokes in particular, treated the bowling attack like club players.

Morne Morkel, a veteran of 68 Tests and a taker of 232 wickets, finished with 1-114 and somehow ended as the most economical of four front-line bowlers.

In the first session Stokes and Bairstow clubbed 196 runs from 25 overs and after the break piled on a further 116 in 13.5 overs.

It was a thrilling show from Stokes, who also hit 30 fours as South Africa fell to pieces in the field.

Bairstow passed three figures, in front of his watching mother and sister, in what was an emotional moment for the 26-year-old.

The Yorkshireman looked twice to the skies as he soaked up the moment, perhaps sparing a thought for his late father David, who played four Tests between 1979 and 1981 before taking his own life in 1998.

After almost 10 hours in the field, Van Zyl lasted just 12 balls before being run out looking to poach a single, leaving the tea score at 1-24.

Stokes' golden day continued when he drew a thick edge from Elgar midway through the evening session but key men De Villiers and Amla dug in for the close.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet," Stokes told Sky Sports at the end of the day's play.

"I looked at the scoreboard, we had a lot runs on board and I thought we were in a good position anyway, with only five down, so I just chanced my arm. I didn't think me slogging one up in the air would have put us in that bad a position!

"It's complete instinct, I thought to myself what I was going to do and executed it the right way. You seem to pick the ball up a lot earlier and you bring the one-day and Twenty20 stuff back into the game when you're going like that.

"Cookie ran a message out when we were 600, said 630 or do you want to go on for 300? I said it doesn't really matter because I'm just trying to hit every ball for six anyway!"

Stokes was quick to praise Bairstow, too, for his contribution to Test cricket's highest ever sixth-wicket stand.

"People probably won't speak about 'Bluey's' knock but when another guy's going hell for leather at the other end, you almost get drawn into doing that yourself," he said.

"The way he played his natural game and didn't look to go too far out of his box, I thought was amazing - and then once he got his hundred he let loose."