Young club cricketer Steven Reingold played a key role in preparing English all-rounder Ben Stokes for his epic innings of 258 in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town at the weekend.

After Stokes was among the top English batsmen dismissed by off-spinner Dane Piedt during the first Test, Reingold, 17, interrupted a family holiday in South Africa to answer an SOS from England batting coach and Stanmore CC colleague Mark Ramprakash.

Ramprakash wanted an off-spinner to bowl to England's frontline stars in the nets and Reingold bowled to seven of the team during an "amazing" 40 minute session. “To be with 11 famous people who I look up to was absolutely something that doesn't normally happen,” he said. “It was like a dream.” And although nervous, he even got world ranked number three batsman Joe Root out lbw.

"They concentrate very hard, so you don’t really speak to them," Reingold added. "But they're very nice guys. If you bowl well, they’ll tell you.”

He was too modest to claim any credit for Stokes's incredible performance - or Piedt going wicketless in the innings: "My mum’s been saying things about Stokes because of his innings, but that wasn’t me.”

It is not the first time that Reingold has been called up for an England practice session, having also bowled to the Ashes-winning team in June.

He also turns out for Middlesex under-19s and was part of Great Britain's silver medal-winning junior cricket squad at the 2013 Maccabiah.