Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"If anything South Africa got sucked in to bowling Stokes out. If they had played like a 50-over match they would have tried more yorkers.

"I'm not blaming Amla this time - I don't think you could have done much. Stokes may have hit those one-day variations, it was just his day!"

Could South Africa have done anything to stop Storm Stokes? Geoffrey doesn't think so.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"Stokes doesn't bat the same style but remember Kapil Dev? He plays in that free uninhibited way. They are just cleanly hit. They sailed over the boundary by a long way.

"Everybody that has come today will go home and say they've seen something really rare. Rare, special, enjoyable, memorable."

The day was all about Ben Stokes, however, with the all-rounder adding to his batting exploits with the wicket of stubborn opener Dean Elgar.

England, by the way, scored 312 runs in 39 overs with the bat today. Wow.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

"South Africa feel to be a team in decline but they have shown some steel."

Image source, AP

When South Africa were put out of their fielding misery, their day appeared to be going from bad to worse as opener Stiaan van Zyl fell to a run out with less than 10 on the board.

However, Dean Elgar (44), Hashim Amla (64*) and AB De Villiers (25*) all batted sensibly to give South Africa a fighting chance. The hosts ended the day 141-2.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"It was an extraordinary day, an extraordinary batting performance. Stokes teed off right from the first over. Amla opened with Morris and he seemed to fancy him from the off. Nobody saw this coming. We all know that Stokes is a rough diamond, a free spirit."

Image source, Getty Images

At the other end, Jonny Bairstow played a fine supporting role and reached his maiden Test century after lunch before going through the gears himself.

Jos Buttler will have to go some to get back into the side now.

Bairstow finished with 150 not out, his innings only being ended when England declared on 629-6.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"You felt he could hit it absolutely anywhere."

As Geoffrey says, Stokes was smashing everything. It was like a closing down sale at a shop - everything had to go. And it did.

Morne Morkel, with more than 200 Test wickets to his name, was bowling length balls and watching them disappear back over his head.

It really was sensational stuff.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"It's been a memorable day. That was phenomenal. You won't see many innings like Ben Stokes'. They are very special moments.

"Jonny Bairstow played well at second fiddle, but some of the strokes by Stokes... he kept smashing the bowlers back over their head.

"It was an outstanding innings - I'm very pleased for the young man - a marvellous performance."

Ben Stokes started the day on 74 not out, but the best was yet to come.

He plundered runs left, right and centre. Poor Chris Morris, on his debut, went for 81 runs in 57 balls.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special

"It happened from the first over of the day, when Stokes smashed two fours. It gave us a sense of what was to come."

Let's recap on what happened today then.

To put it bluntly, Ben Stokes marmalised South Africa.

It was raining fours and sixes as the all-rounder produced an innings as imposing as Table Mountain which overlooks Newlands.

Alison Mitchell
BBC Test Match Special

"It's been a remarkable, remarkable day for English cricket. It will stick long in the memory of everyone who saw it, particularly the thousands who have travelled over to Cape Town."

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Stokes' heroics with the bat have taken even his former team-mates by surprise.

The all-rounder's 258 off 198 balls was the fastest double century by an England player, and the second quickest of all time.

But Geoff Minshaw, club secretary at Cockermouth in Cumbria, the club where Stokes played as a junior, told Press Association Sport:, external "We thought he could possibly make it as a county cricketer.

"I don't think anybody would have thought he would go on and dominate the world stage.

"He's got the potential to be the best all-rounder England have ever had and maybe the best all-rounder the world has ever seen."

Forget Sunday, this was Stokesday.

A sensational day of Test cricket ends with England 488 runs in front. Not bad, I suppose.