Rickelton’s century lights up Newlands and gives Proteas control

Ryan Rickelton completed a second Test match hundred, an innings of rich quality, at Newlands on Friday as the Proteas gradually took control against Pakistan. 

A month after completing his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, the 28-year-old left-hander produced a more fluent display, in a knock featuring some sumptuous stroke play.

He and Temba Bavuma ensured South Africa finished the second session without losing a wicket, with their fourth-wicket partnership of 112 stretching South Africa’s total to 184/3 at tea. 

After a wobble in the second hour of the morning session when the Proteas lost three wickets for 11 runs, the afternoon unfolded serenely, led by Rickelton. 

One of five Lions players to start this Test — and also one of four players from St Stithians College — Rickelton has controlled the first two sessions. He has balanced solid defence with excellent shot-making, hitting his drives crisply, while off the back foot he has played strongly behind the wicket on the offside. 

Rickelton reached tea on 106, in the company of Bavuma who was 51 not out, an innings that included six boundaries.

Along with his performance in Gqeberha, Rickelton delivered a thunderous response to previous selectors, who ignored his consistent domestic form for the Lions, finding all sorts of reasons to leave him out of various Proteas teams. 

Rickelton was left angry, but always returned for his province to make another hundred and under the Shukri Conrad regime has received better communication about where he stands and what is expected of him. 

Nevertheless there is a chance he may not have played in this match had Tony de Zorzi, who was diagnosed with an injury, been declared fit. But given this opportunity, he’s taken it with both hands, and given Conrad a conundrum that he may need all five months before the World Test Championship to resolve. 

There was an animated exchange with Bavuma when Rickelton reached his landmark, with the Proteas' captain hugging him, tapping him on the chest and high-fiving him. At tea he’d faced 149 balls and hit 14 fours.

Bavuma continued his remarkable season, notching up his fifth 50-plus score since the start of the Sri Lanka series, having turned one of those into a hundred in Durban.