South Africa's Ryan Rickleton made history on Saturday by smashing his first ever Test double century during the second Test against Pakistan in Cape Town. It's a huge achievement – Rickelton is the first South African batsman to reach the milestone in nearly a decade. The last Proteas batsman to do so was Hashim Amla, who scored two centuries in 2016.
Rickleton reached 200 off 266 deliveries. He has also been involved in a massive 235-year partnership with South Africa Commander Themba Bavuma. This has now put the hosts in a leadership position at Newlands.
Rickelton's record-breaking innings
Opening the batting with Aiden Markram, Rickleton showed patience and flair while anchoring the South African innings. His double century was a combination of calculated strokes and aggressive shots, highlighting his growing stature in international cricket.
The feat comes just a month after he scored his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in December. His consistent performances have not gone unnoticed as IPL franchise Mumbai Indians secured his services for INR 1 Crore during the recent auction.
At lunch on the second day, South Africa were 429/5, with Rickelton and Kyle Vereen sharing an unbeaten stand of 106 runs. The home team added 113 runs in the morning session, increasing the pressure on the visitors.
Pakistan's struggles continue
Pakistani bowlers had difficulty making breakthroughs on a pitch that offered little help. The second new ball, taken early in the session, failed to make much impact as Rickleton and Beddingham negotiated it with ease.
The visitors had a glimmer of hope when Mohammad Abbas dismissed David Beddingham for 36. Bedingham delivered the ball outside the off-stump, gifting a straight catch to the wicket-keeper.
However, those hopes were quickly extinguished by Vereen and Rikelton. Having survived a close LBW appeal, Verreyne counter-attacked with flair. He hit three sixes over the leg-side boundary and reached a half-century with a streaky boundary, sending the Cape Town crowd into a frenzy.
Rickleton hits 200
Rickelton's moment of glory came in the 91st over when he drove the ball through mid-on for four, moving to 199. He then took a quick single off the next delivery to bring up his double century, receiving a standing ovation from the Newlands crowd.
Despite the pitch showing signs of wear, Rickleton and Vereen continued to dominate. They played Salman Ali Agha with ease and attacked Mir Hamza and Aamir Jamal in the last half hour of the session.
Verreyne, known for his aggressive style, launched two sixes from Jamal before hitting a straight boundary, setting up a 50-run stand between him and Rickleton in just 12 overs.
South Africa's leadership position
With a score of 429/5, South Africa put themselves in a strong position in the second Test. The Proteas will look to push for a big lead in the first innings and put Pakistan under pressure on a pitch that is expected to deteriorate further.
Ryan Rickleton's double century marks a significant moment for South African cricket. It ends a nine-year drought of double centuries in Test matches for the Proteas and highlights the team's resurgence in the longest format.
Stay updated with all the cricket happenings, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, twitter, cable and Instagram
Source link