Stokes Becomes Second-Fastest Cricketer To Scale Test Double Of 4000 Runs And 150 Wickets

The premier English all-rounder achieved the milestone when he scalped the wicket of West Indian tailender Alzarri Joseph, his third dismissal during the first innings of the visitors in the Southampton opener of the 3-match Test series against West Indies.

Ben Stokes

England's stand-in skipper Ben Stokes on Friday scaled yet another notable milestone in his international career when became the second-fastest Test cricketer to reach the double of 4000 runs and 150 wickets. The premier English all-rounder achieved the milestone when he scalped the wicket of West Indian tailender Alzarri Joseph, his third dismissal during the first innings of the visitors in the Southampton opener of the 3-match Test series against West Indies. Stokes's dismissal of Joseph meant that he had joined an elite club of all-round greats like Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis who have achieved the 4000 Test runs and 150-plus wickets double in the longer format of the game. Stokes (64 Tests) was the second fastest cricketer to have scaled the milestone behind West Indian legend Gary Sobers who took a match less (63 Tests) to reach the milestone. Stokes played his part with his medium pace to help his team dismiss the West Indies for 318 in their first innings. Stokes dismissed the well settled Windies opener Kraigg Brathwaite for 65 and then made inroads into the visitors tail by scalping Shane Dowrich, Alzari Joseph and Jofra Archer to end up with four wickets in the innings. At stumps on Day 3 of the Southampton Test, Windies led hosts England by 99 runs. England were 15/0 in their second innings with both their openers unbeaten at the creases when play ended on the third day of the first Test.