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Fast 50s: Ben Stokes and other batters who were in a hurry to hit a half-century

pa sport staff
·2-min read

Ben Stokes blasted Test cricket’s third fastest 50 and the quickest by an Englishman as his side routed the West Indies by 10 wickets at Edgbaston.

Stokes brought up his half-century with a six off the 24th ball he faced, in the process equalling South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis’ feat against Zimbabwe in Cape Town in 2005 and bettering compatriot Sir Ian Botham’s 28-ball effort against India in Delhi in 1981.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at where the England captain’s high-octane knock sits in the game’s history.

All time

  • 21 Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan v Australia, 2014)

  • 23 David Warner (Australia v Pakistan, 2017)

  • 24 Jacques Kallis (South Africa v Zimbabwe, 2005)

  • 24 Ben Stokes (England v West Indies, 2024)

  • 25 Shane Shillingford (West Indies v New Zealand, 2014)

Stokes’ fireworks saw him thump a six and nine fours as he opened the batting with Ben Duckett after England has been set 82 for victory.

Only Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq, who reached the same landmark in just 21 deliveries against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014, and David Warner, who did it in 23 for Australia against Pakistan in Sydney three years later, are ahead of him in the all-time list.

Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq attempts a sweep against England at Old Trafford
Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq took just 21 balls to score a Test 50 against Australia (Martin Rickett/PA)

Stokes’ achievement means the nine fastest 50s in Test history have been scored this century while the 10th, a 28-ball assault by West Indies batter Foffie Williams, came in 1948 against England in Bridgetown and has since been matched by Botham, Chris Gayle, Colin de Grandhomme and Rishabh Pant.

England

  • 24 Ben Stokes (England v West Indies, 2024)

  • 28 Ian Botham (England v India, 1981)

  • 30 Jonny Bairstow (England v New Zealand, 2022)

  • 32 Ian Botham (England v New Zealand, 1986)

  • 32 Ben Duckett (England v West Indies, 2024)

No England batter has made it to a Test 50 quicker than Stokes.

His quickfire innings at Edgbaston eclipsed Botham’s 28 balls in Delhi and Jonny Bairstow’s 30 against New Zealand at Headingley in 2022.

England all-rounder Ian Botham in action against the West Indies at the Oval
Ben Stokes has eclipsed Sir Ian Botham’s England record of 28 balls to score a Test match 50 (Sean Dempsey/PA)

Botham took two deliveries more to complete a half-century against the Kiwis at the Oval in 1986, and Duckett did the same in the second Test at Trent Bridge this summer.

A ball further behind in the list are Allan Lamb against New Zealand in Auckland during the 1992 tour and Andrew Flintoff, who repeated the feat against the same opposition in Wellington 10 years later.