Ryan Rickelton Ends Nine-Year Wait for South Africa with Double Ton Against Pakistan

Ryan Rickelton from South Africa made cricket history by hitting over 200 runs in a Test match. It's been nine years since anyone else from South Africa did that. On Saturday, in the second Test against Pakistan in Cape Town, his amazing score of 202 runs from 266 balls really helped improve the Proteas' game. Rickelton was a key player in giving his team a strong advantage.

ALSO READ:Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma: Divorce Rumors Spark Speculation

Breaking a Nine-Year Drought

Resuming at an unbeaten 176 on Day 2, Rickelton hit a double century early, making the Cape Town crowd extremely happy. The performance was top-notch, demonstrating his patience and precision with 25 boundaries and also a hit over the boundary. With Rickelton's milestone, South Africa hadn't seen a double century in Test cricket since Hashim Amla did it in 2016.

The Proteas weren't doing particularly well at the start, losing three of their players Aiden Markram with 17 runs, Wiaan Mulder for just 5, and Tristan Stubbs out without obtaining for a total of 71 runs very early, by the 7th over. Mohammad Abbas and Salman Ali Agha from Pakistan were very successful in their method, taking the Proteas' players out fast.

But then, things took a major turn. Rickelton, who was just starting out, teamed up with the team captain, Temba Bavuma. Together, they started scoring many runs, achieving up a whopping 235 runs between them for the fourth wicket. This duo completely changed the game. During their partnership, Bavuma was an issue, altogether and chalked up his fourth test century, demonstrating how tough he could be.Their hard work paid off, making fully sure South Africa shot back into a strong position in the tournament. Even after Bavuma had to head out just before Day 1 was coming to an end, it didn't slow them down at all. The team finished the day looking very good with a score of 316-4.

First Test Hundred in 2025 - Ryan Rickelton.

First Test Double Hundred in 2025 - Ryan Rickelton.

What a remarkable start to the New Year Test, Incredible innings, dominating WTC cycle for South Africa 🙇🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/mVu924Putn

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 4, 2025

Day 2 Highlights

Rickelton and David Bedingham started batting again for South Africa. Rickelton obtained a strikingly large double century but Bedingham only got five runs before Mohammad Abbas got him out. By the morning break, the team obtained 370-5 after playing 95 overs, keeping their approach very powerful.Pakistan's bowlers, including the returning Mir Hamza and debutant Aamir Jamal, struggled to make breakthroughs. Both bowlers delivered long spells without success, leaving Pakistan to toil under the sun.

A Stellar Year for Rickelton

Since hitting the cricket scene in 2022, Rickelton has been joining it. He secured his first Test century in a match against Sri Lanka in December. Now, he's just played an amazing game against Pakistan. Rickelton's been solid as a top-order batter, adapting to any difficult pitch or bowler set forth. This makes him vitally key to South Africa's team.Adding to his accolades, Rickelton was picked by the Mumbai Indians for ₹1 crore during the IPL auction in November, reflecting his growing stature in world cricket.