DAY 2: Rickelton, Verreynne drive Proteas forward

Ryan Rickelton scored the 4th-fastest test double-ton as South Africa went to lunch on the second day of the second test at 429 for five against Pakistan at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.

Rickelton added 37-cautious runs to his overnight score of 176 to go to lunch on 213 while sharing in a dominating 106-run stand for the sixth wicket with Kyle Verreynne, who notched up his fourth test half-century, ending on an unbeaten 74.

Verreynne survived two leg-before calls, first against Mohammad Abbas (24-1-70-2) and then against Mir Hamza (19-1-81-0), both of which were reviewed by Pakistan to no avail. Verreynne struck eight boundaries and four maximums from 88 deliveries, being the dominant force in the 6th-wicket stand.

The Proteas moved into a dominant position at lunch, adding 113 runs to their overnight total of 316 for four, with the only Pakistan success coming in the form of David Bedingham edging Abbas behind to Mohammad Rizwan for five.

Once Verreynne got past his fifty, which came in 88 minutes from 70 balls, he opened up in the 15 minutes before the lunch break, cracking Amir Jamal (17-0-103-0) for back-to-back sixes over square-leg to raise the 100-run stand with Rickelton – a 100-runs partnership that came in 101 minutes and 132 balls and included 11 boundaries and four sixes.

South Africa had won the toss on the first morning, electing to bat first and found themselves in a slight bother. Pakistan won the opening session, leaving the Proteas on 72 for three with Rickelton standing firm on an unbeaten 50.

Rickelton and Markram gave the home side a steady start with an opening stand of 61 but then Markram edged Khurram Shahzad (21-3-90-1) behind to Rizwan for 17 before Wiaan Mulder (5) and Tristan Stubbs(0) edged Abbas and Salman Agha (25-2-77-2) behind to Rizwan respectively.

Despite the setback, Rickleton was joined at the crease post lunch by Temba Bavuma and the pair completely dominated the first day’s play, adding 235 for the fourth wicket – the highest stand for the fourth wicket at Newlands, a record that had stood since 1938/39 when Wally Hammond and Les Ames added 197 for England.

Bavuma’s 106 came from 1790 deliveries and included nine boundaries and two maximums which resulted in a passionate celebration in the middle. Agha though got reward for his patience outside the offstump, when Bavuma played at a ball that went straight on, edging through to Rizwan behind the stumps.

Bedingham and Rickelton played out the last few overs of the first day, adding nine unbeaten runs at the close.

SOUTH AFRICA: Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.

PAKISTAN: Shan Masood (capt), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad.