When the Proteas lost opener Tony de Zorzi to injury for the second Test against Pakistan, Ryan Rickelton was asked to step up and shoulder the burden of opening the batting for his country and he took the opportunity and ran with it, finishing on 176 not out (232 balls, 21x4, 1x6) as South Africa dominated at World Sports Betting Newland on Friday.
The DP World Lions lefty was untroubled as he flayed the visiting bowling attack to all parts of the picturesque ground to leave the home side on 316/4 (after only 80 overs) at the end of play with David Bedingham at the other end on four.
He and skipper Temba Bavuma (106, 179 balls, 9x4, 2x6) put on 235 for the fourth wicket, a record stand, as the men in the field seemed to run out of ideas as the day wore on.
The visitors started well enough, perhaps the bowlers were pumped up by "Coach Sandpaper" Darren Lehmann and Michael Vaughan's comments about the standard of opposition the Proteas have faced this World Test Championship cycle and had Aiden Markram, the returning Wiaan Mulder and Tristan Stubbs back in the changeroom before lunch.
Khurram Shahzad stuck first, with Markram caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan for 17 (40 balls, 3x4) before Mohammad Abbas claimed Mulder's wicket (five from 18 balls with one four).
Spinner Agha Salman then took care of Stubbs for a duck with the last ball before the break (Rizwan's third of four catches catch behind the wicket) and Pakistan's meal would have tasted sweeter than the one in the South African dressing room at 72/3 but then it became the Rickelton and Bavuma show as they powered past tea and nearly made to the end of the day's play.
They drove, cut, pulled and flicked the ball to all parts of the ground while remaining resolute in defence when they needed to be as the crowd roared and cheered for the two men from Joburg.
Bavuma finally fell, caught behind by Rizwan, to Salman and left the field to a standing ovation after another special innings.
With Mulder and Keshav Maharaj back in the starting XI Corbin Bosch (unluckily) missed out along with De Zorzi, while Dane Paterson, so good against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, was given the chance to enjoy a rest with Kwena Maphaka making his debut - the youngest man to ever make his debut for the Proteas, breaking Paul Adams' record.
While I'm sure the young quick is excited to get out there and do his thing with the ball under the watchful eye of Table Mountain, he would have loved seeing his provincial teammates take Pakistan apart from the comfort of the airconditioned changeroom.
With their place in the WTC Final already secured the Proteas seemed to be playing with more freedom as the pressure was off and all eyes are on the slap fight happening in Sydney between Australia and India to see who will face South Africa later this year and who can be more unlikeable - on and off the pitch.
Saturday is a new day though and South Africa know the job is not done yet while Pakistan have to believe that they can make an early breakthrough with the new ball and put some sort of pressure on the home side in front of a boisterous Cape Town crowd.
Teams
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.
Pakistan: Shan Masood (capt), Siam Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza.
Comments