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.