It’s 2016. England have come over to tour South Africa, and Newlands has just finished hosting the New Year’s Test. Now a normal glance at that scorecard would tell you it was a dull draw, with both teams scoring over 600 runs in the first innings, and at the end of five days, not for one point, was there a chance of either team forcing a result. Five full days couldn’t accommodate three full innings. 

Hah. Don’t be fooled. 

A 25-year-old English all-rounder had chosen the stage to announce himself to the world. On Cape Town’s hallowed turf, which that season was at its flattest best, he decided to go on a rampage with the bat. From 167/4 to 622/6, he decided to give us a glimpse into what he’d make the entire England team do six years later. Bazball was spotted!   

198 balls, 30 fours, 11 sixes, 258 runs. It really was carnage. Nobody had ever dared take down the great Proteas bowling lineup like he did that one afternoon. It was not a slogfest, or a case of him just swinging for the hills. There was enough method, and an immense amount of self-belief behind that batswing, which was already monstrous. The Newlands grassbanks, the grand stand, the carpark, nothing was spared. From watching in awe to ducking for cover, it was a loop. 

He's now a certified legend, a double World Cup winner, and he’s coming back to where it all began. He is coming to make it his home. He is coming into the Blue and Gold in the third season of the SA20. Welcome to Newlands, welcome to MI Cape Town, Ben Stokes. We cannot wait to have you over.