Ryan Rickelton of the Proteas celebrates his century during day one of the International Test Series match between against Pakistan at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Friday. BackpagePix
South Africa: 184/3(Ryan Rickelton106*; Salman Agha 1/15)
NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN - A century stand for the fourth-wicket between Ryan Rickelton and Temba Bavuma saw South Africa regain control of proceedings in the second session following a batting collapse late in the first session on Day One of the second and final Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday.
⚪️🟢 The Proteas are at 184-3 at the Tea Break!
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 3, 2025
Ryan Rickelton (106*) and Temba Bavuma (51*) have built a partnership worth 112 runs.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/bkH6VP0zB1
Whatever pep talk coach Shukri Conrad dished out during the lunch break following the three-wicket batting collapse in the last hour of the first session, did the trick as the batters returned for the second session looking a touch compact in technique and determined to back up the decision to bat first earlier in the day.
Joining an on-song Rickelton in the middle to start the second session, Bavuma did not sit back and allow the visiting bowlers to have their way. Instead, the right-handed batter counterattacked with his classy drives down the ground and well-timed flicks to the mid-wicket boundary.
Temba Bavuma begins the new year with a 25th Test half-century! Bat on Skipper 🫡#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/OD6x79irLV
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 3, 2025
Alongside him, Rickelton continued his pursuit of playing in the V, a method any opening batter knows to employ for success in South African conditions, as the pair raced to a 50-run stand, 11 overs into their fourth-wicket partnership.
The pair took the run rate from just over three in the first session to a touch under four at tea as Rickelton reached the three-figure mark for the second time in his career in front of the sold-out Newlands.
It's Test century number two for Ryan Rickelton whose milestone (103) comes off 135 balls, he's hit fourteen 4's along the way 👏![CDATA[]]>🏼.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/no30lhi8xp
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 3, 2025
With off-spiner Salman Agha continuing his spell, he strayed into Rickelton’s pads and the left-hander simply guided the ball to the fine-leg boundary for four to bring up his second century and also the 100-run partnership with Bavuma.
To add icing on the cake, Bavuma (51*) reached his 25th Test half-century, extending his dominance with the bat as captain in the longer format into the new year as South Africa went to tea with the scoreboard reading 184/3 after 50 overs.