Ben Foakes and Ben Stokes added 173 runs for sixth wicket (PC: Twitter)
England wicket-keeper batter Ben Foakes has breathed a sigh of relief after reaching the three-figure mark in Test format after nearly four years.
In the ongoing second red-ball fixture of the series against South Africa, Foakes top-scored for the English team with an unbeaten 113 of 217 balls. In this pursuit, he added 173 runs for the sixth wicket with Ben Stokes (103), helping the Three Lions to declare on 415/9 in response to South Africa's 151.
In his debut Test match, Foakes impressed by hitting a ton against Sri Lanka in November 2018. Since then, the 29-year-old often failed to convert his starts into big innings.
After Day 2's play, Foakes caught up with Sky Sports and seemed delighted to hit a hundred and contribute to the team's success.
"I was a bit of relief and I was overjoyed getting a Test hundred," Foakes told Sky Sports. "I've had a bit of a wait and I realised how hard they are to come by, so I think I celebrated this one a bit more.
"It's obviously a great opportunity playing for England and you want to contribute as much as possible. When you go through a lean patch, it makes it a bit more special."
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