“I held that record for 33 years so it was about time it moved on,” says a smiling Sir Ian Botham, reflecting on that performance by Ben Stokes in Cape Town, in which South Africa’s bowlers were obliterated to the tune of 258 runs in only 198 balls, blitzing the record for the fastest double century by an England batsman along the way.
As with the landmark of 383 Test wickets that was overtaken by Jimmy Anderson in Antigua last April, the former all-rounder is more than happy to see one of the current generation take his place in the history books. Botham is equally proud to say he was at Newlands when it happened.
His 208 against India at The Oval was one of his most violent assaults on an opposition bowling attack. The double hundred came from only 220 balls faced — Stokes was a staggering 57 balls quicker — and yet it is not, of course, his most talked-about. Stokes, he claims, has just had his Headingley ’81 moment.
“It’s quite remarkable when you think back to that innings against Australia in ’81. I know there was only about 10,000 people in the ground but I have met three and a half million since who say they were there. But I now can say I was there for Ben Stokes.
“And it’s an innings that will change his life. I don’t think it will affect Ben that much himself though because he is a pretty uncomplicated character who just likes to go toe-to-toe with the opposition. That is certainly what motivated me and I am sure it’s what motivates him.”
So how best should England manage such a talent now? “Just let him go,” said Botham. “My captain, Mike Brearley, did absolutely the same with me. There was no leash in any way.” Botham, if it’s not obvious already, is a huge admirer of Stokes and believes it possible that there “hasn’t been anything quite like him” before. Hyperbole? Perhaps. But then when England’s greatest all-round cricketer, a player who transcended his sport, is saying such things it is quite hard to ignore too.
“Ben will feel untouchable at the moment. His confidence will be oozing and that will be good for the team as they will all pick up on that. It’s a little bit like being in the jungle - he is now the dominant male lion: the rest will feed off him. That’s how he’ll be.  He’ll be the dominant male in that side for a few years to come.
“Ben will be enjoying it as well. He’ll see it as fun. You walk out and you empty the bars rather than fill them and it’s a nice feeling.  Then you get out and you see them all going back in for a beer and you think: ‘Sorry, lads, I can’t do it every day.’
“And he can’t do it every day either. That’s what people will have to remember now. You have to give him the right to fail.”
Similar words of warning were spoken by the England head coach, Trevor Bayliss, at the end of the drawn second Test in Cape Town. His side now head to Johannesburg 1-0 up in the four-match series and having already forced a change of captain by South Africa after Hashim Amla stepped aside for AB de Villiers.
South African doubts remain over the fitness of Dale Steyn for the third Test after the latest scan on the shoulder injury that meant he missed the Cape Town Test again returned inconclusive results. It was Steyn’s five for 51 that blew England away at the Wanderers in Johannesburg six years ago, a result that meant the series was drawn 1-1. Botham, speaking at an event for Kumala Wines, one of the sponsors for his charity walk around South Africa at the start of the tour, is not wary of his return this time.
“Even if Steyn comes back, and there has got to be a massive doubt, he will be bowling within himself because he’ll be worried that if breaks down again he’ll be letting the side down.
“He’s been around long enough to make the right decision but it is something that will be bothering the South African camp at the moment. And even though they will be a lot happier now than they were after losing the first Test in Durban, when you look at the two sides man-for-man and mark them out of 10 then England win by quite a distance.”