HAULMIGHTY

Stokes milestone puts him alongside legends

- MiKE WALTERS

BEN STOKES has long been confined to exalted company - but now he's joined a club so exclusive it has only three members.

When the England captain trapped Kirk McKenzie leg before at Lord's, he became only the third man after Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis - to achieve the double of 6,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket (inset).

Think of celebrated all-rounders who fell short of either milestone or both Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Freddie Flintoff - and the penny will drop that Big Ben has reached an orbit of greatness.

In the first Test, which has been oneway traffic, Stokes' feat may warrant only a footnote in what will be a resounding home win.