Rickelton’s 259 and Verreynne’s Century Crush Pakistan’s Hopes

South Africa’s pacers, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, dominated Pakistan’s batting line-up on day two of the Cape Town Test, adding to Pakistan’s misery. The visitors, already reeling from the absence of the injured Saim Ayub, found themselves at the mercy of South Africa’s quicks. Rabada and Jansen’s relentless attack tore through Pakistan’s top order, […]

With Pakistan now 551 runs behind, South Africa is just six wickets away from securing a dominant victory and forcing Pakistan to bat again. This followed a remarkable performance from the hosts, who had posted a daunting total of 615, built around a double-century from Ryan Rickelton and a century from Kyle Verreynne. Pakistan’s task has become increasingly difficult, and the game is quickly slipping out of their reach.

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South Africa’s Dominance Continues as Rickelton, Verreynne, and Jansen Shine

After taking control before lunch, South Africa continued to dominate in the afternoon session, utterly flattening Pakistan’s resolve. Ryan Rickelton, who had already played a stunning innings, finished with 259, just three runs shy of the record for the highest score at Newlands, held by Stephen Fleming. Kyle Verreynne also played a vital role, bringing up his fourth Test century, while Marco Jansen, who had struggled with the bat throughout 2024, kicked off the new year in style with a blistering half-century. His rapid 42-ball knock included six fours and three sixes, contributing to a massive 137 runs added in the second session.

By tea, South Africa had surged to 566 for 7, their highest total at home in four years, leaving Pakistan with little hope of containing the onslaught. Pakistan’s bowlers could only watch as the South African batters took charge. Verreynne, continuing his dominant form from the morning, celebrated his century with a boundary off Mohammad Abbas, drawing applause from the Newlands crowd. His effort, however, came to an end when he attempted a slog sweep off Salman Ali Agha, providing the latter with a breakthrough. Despite the wicket, the momentum remained firmly in South Africa’s favor.

With no pressure from the scoreboard, Jansen was allowed to play his natural game, swinging freely and timing the ball exquisitely. After an initial period of patience where he took 11 balls to get off the mark, Jansen exploded, scoring quickly with a series of boundaries. Two fours and a six off Khurram Shahzad in successive overs helped to bring up a rapid 50-run partnership in just 46 balls. Both Jansen and Rickelton continued to put on a display of power hitting, each hitting sixes off Salman Ali Agha, ensuring South Africa maintained full control of the match.

Rickelton’s Double Century Leads South Africa’s Charge, Verreynne’s Aggression Shines

Pakistan finally dismissed Ryan Rickelton before tea, ending his monumental innings. Having struck a boundary off Mir Hamza, Rickelton top-edged the next delivery to Mohammad Abbas at long-on, who took a fine catch. Despite departing for 259, Rickelton had nearly doubled his Test runs tally in a single innings. Earlier in the morning, he had made history by becoming the first South African in eight years to score a Test double century, helping South Africa strengthen their position in the match. Pakistan had started the session with some promise, taking the new ball and striking early when Abbas induced an outside edge from David Bedingham.

Though Pakistan gained some momentum, Rickelton continued to thwart their efforts, playing with remarkable discipline. He was cautious against length deliveries but ruthless against anything loose, building on his overnight score of 176. Meanwhile, Kyle Verreynne displayed aggressive intent, taking on Abbas with a powerful hook shot over deep backward square. His audacity continued through the session, as he launched two sixes off Aamer Jamal in the final over before lunch. Despite the close-field placements, Verreynne found ways to pierce gaps, including a remarkable cover drive off Hamza’s bowling, further showcasing his fearless approach.

The session’s highlights belonged to Verreynne, who greeted Salman Ali Agha with a reverse sweep for four, followed by another one to finish the over. Verreynne’s attacking style was relentless, and just before lunch, he took on Jamal, smashing 17 runs in a single over. Meanwhile, Rickelton celebrated his double century with a punch through the offside, his face lighting up as he ran halfway down the pitch. Together, the two South African batters continued to drive their team’s dominance, leaving Pakistan with little room to recover.

Pakistan Battling South Africa’s Dominance, Azam and Rizwan Offer Hope

Pakistan eventually managed to bring South Africa’s innings to a close after a grueling 140 overs under the scorching Newlands sun, wrapping up proceedings with a touch of symmetry. Abbas, who had started the innings with an unlucky miss off Aiden Markram’s pad, struck the final blow by sending debutant Kwena Maphaka’s stumps flying, a fitting conclusion to the long day. Despite the late breakthrough, Pakistan’s resolve was already tested by South Africa’s dominance, leaving them with a daunting task ahead.

As soon as Pakistan began their own innings, they likely wished South Africa’s innings had continued. Imam-ul-Haq didn’t last long, caught behind off a Kagiso Rabada delivery that nibbled away, edging his bat to the slip. Saud Shakeel followed soon after, also caught in the slips by David Bedingham, as he inexplicably drove at Rabada. In between, Marco Jansen added to Pakistan’s woes, using extra pace and bounce to dismiss Kamran Ghulam, whose stumps were sent flying in a tangle of awkward batting. South Africa’s bowlers seemed on top, and Pakistan’s batters appeared fragile in the face of their relentless attack.

However, as the day wore on, Babar Azam, opening in the absence of Saim Ayub, steadied the ship alongside Mohammad Rizwan. The pair defended resolutely, with South Africa’s replacement bowlers not quite matching the devastating pace and accuracy of Rabada and Jansen. This resilience from Pakistan’s top order gave them a glimmer of hope, allowing them to end a difficult day with the prospect of perhaps delaying the inevitable for a while longer. Despite the challenge, Pakistan’s fightback provided a silver lining on a day that had offered little in terms of positive moments.