Second Test: Rickelton and Bavuma's Centuries Propel South Africa on Day One Against Pakistan

Cape Town, Jan 4 (NationPress) Opener Ryan Rickelton crafted a resilient unbeaten 176 and captain Temba Bavuma added a steady 106, leading South Africa to an impressive 316/4 on the first day of the second and final Test at Newlands on Friday. Rickelton scored 176 off 232 balls, featuring 21 fours and one six, while Bavuma faced 179 balls for his 106, including nine fours and two sixes, as the home team dominated after winning the toss and opting to bat first.

Pakistan faced an early setback when opener Saim Ayub had to be carried off on a stretcher due to an ankle injury.

The injury occurred in the seventh over, when Ryan Rickelton edged a ball through the slips, prompting Ayub to sprint towards it alongside Aamer Jamal. As Jamal retrieved the ball, Ayub, acting as the relay fielder, lost his footing and twisted his ankle. He immediately crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg in agony while the physio hurried to assist.

After extensive treatment near the boundary, Ayub was taken off on a stretcher, casting a pall over Pakistan’s performance. Things took a turn for the worse shortly after when Ayub’s substitute, Abdullah Shafique, dropped an easy catch at cover to dismiss Aiden Markram. Fortunately, Markram was dismissed by Khurram Shahzad two overs later, but the atmosphere remained muted, underscoring the absence of Ayub.

Rickelton and Markram (17) added 61 runs for the opening wicket, but South Africa quickly lost two more wickets as Wiaan Mulder (5) and Tristan Stubbs (0) followed suit.

However, Rickelton found a dependable partner in skipper Bavuma, and together they forged a monumental 235-run partnership for the fourth wicket, effectively draining Pakistan's morale. Rickelton displayed patience, resilience, and skill to construct a remarkable innings that set South Africa on the path to a formidable total. He reached his fifty off 73 balls and his century off 135 balls, striking 14 boundaries.

Bavuma also adopted a cautious strategy, achieving his half-century in 82 balls and his century in 167 balls. The diminutive batsman was dismissed shortly after, losing focus and edging to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan off Agha Salman. Rizwan played a role in the fall of all four wickets on the opening day, claiming four catches. However, Pakistan’s usual issues of dropped catches and misfields allowed Rickelton and Bavuma to capitalize on the favorable batting conditions.

At the end of the day’s play, Rickelton remained unbeaten on 176, with David Bedingham supporting him on four.

For Pakistan, Salman Agha took two wickets for 55 runs, while Khurram Shahzad (1-69) and Mohammad Abbas (1-51) also contributed to the bowling attack.

Brief scores:

South Africa 316/4 in 80 overs (Ryan Rickelton 176 not out, Temba Bavuma 106; Salman Agha 2-55) vs Pakistan.