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DAY 1: King Rickelton outshines Cape sun as Proteas dominate

football03 January 2025 16:09| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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Ryan Rickelton registered his highest test score as South Africa ended the first day of the second test against Pakistan on 316 for four at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.

The left-handed opener was a key factor alongside his captain Temba Bavuma as the pair registered the highest fourth-wicket stand ever at Newlands, beating the previous best of 197 between Les Ames and Wally Hammond for England back in 1938/39.

“I think the wicket was pretty good, and still is pretty good,” said Rickelton at the post-day press conference.

The 235-run stand between Rickelton and Bavuma was the main highlight for the Proteas after Bavuma had won the toss and elected to bat first under cloudy skies.

But once the sun broke through and the early morning clouds dissipated, the home side made merry with the runs.

“Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted but we have to put the day away and come back tomorrow and try to get them out as cheaply as we can,” said Salman Agha at the press briefing.

Bavuma, who joined Rickelton at the start of the post-lunch session, cracked nine boundaries and two sixes in his 106-run knock.

The fourth test century was wildly celebrated by the captain after helping to put the home side in a dominant position late in the afternoon.

“I don’t know what he was doing, he was so far away from me, but clearly this one meant a lot to him, especially being from this part of the world and getting a 100 on day one of a test is something we all dream about,” joked Rickelton of Bavuma’s celebration.

The pair had resumed after tea on 184 for three and added a further 51 runs to their stand before Bavuma’s demise.

The patient spin of Salman Agha (18-0-55-2) brought eventual success for the visitors, as Bavuma pushed at a delivery outside the off-stump, only to find a faint edge which Mohammad Rizwan gladly accepted behind the stumps.

Rickelton struck 21 boundaries and one six from 232 deliveries, carrying his bat for the entire day, ending unbeaten on 176.

The Pakistani brains-trust tried everything they could against Rickelton, loading the legside with six fielders and persisting with short-pitched balls on the legside, only for the Lions opener to leap up on his toes and crack the ball through the covers or down towards third man.

Rickelton and David Bedingham (4 not out) carried the hosts to the close without any further trouble and will resume their nine-run stand for the fifth wicket.

“We need to maximise as much as we can and obviously bring Kesh (Keshav Maharaj) into the game because I anticipate a lot of turn later in the game,” added Rickelton.

“It’s just not turning. When it is not turning then the wind comes in to play for the drift,” stated Agha.

THE DAY BELONGS TO RICKELTON AND BAVUMA

The Proteas lost their way just before the lunch break after a decent opening stand of 61 between Rickelton and Aiden Markram (17).

However, Khurram Shahzad (15-2-69-1), who had Markram and Rickelton dropped in the covers by Abdullah Shafique, finally found success in having Markram edging behind from an inside edge to Rizwan behind the stumps.

“Shuks (Shukri Conrad) had a chat with me in the nets and said he would not put me in a position that he didn’t think I could do. I just said to him that I just want to bat – it doesn’t matter where – I just want to get stuck in,” said Rickelton.

Then, shortly before the break, Pakistan claimed an early advantage when Mohammad Abbas (16-0-51-1) had Wiaan Mulder edging to Rizwan for just five before Agha closed out the morning session, having Tristan Stubbs edging behind to Rizwan for a duck to leave the Proteas on 72 for three.

“We lost that first session. I thought Aiden and I did a good job up front, but those three wickets gave them the session. We knew that the wicket was playing well and if we could just get a partnership, that would be our way back in,” stated Rickelton.

“The first session went really well for us. But they really batted very well and you have to give credit to the opposition,” added Agha.

But the day belonged to Rickelton and Bavuma as the pair raised the fifty-run stand in just 51 minutes, their 100-run stand from 137 balls and the 200 in 213 minutes.

The Pakistan bowlers toiled under the warm Cape sun but rarely troubled the South African duo.

Rickelton brought up his second ton, flicking Agha down the leg-side for four runs, in 220 minutes and 135 balls.

His innings included 14 boundaries at the time.

Bavuma constructed his innings in the calmest of manners, showing why South Africa’s captain has been in such a rich vein of form of late, scoring three fifties and two centuries in his last five test innings.

SOUTH AFRICA: Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.

PAKISTAN: Shan Masood (capt), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad.

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