On day two of the second Test in the two-match series, South Africa got past 600-run total for the first-time in the longest format of the game in nine years. At the Newlands in Cape Town, opener Ryan Rickelton’s double hundred, along with exceptional three-figure scores from captain Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne helped the Proteas score 615 runs in their first innings after 141.3 overs against Pakistan, to take big step towards winning the series.
Notably, Ryan Rickelton and Temba Bavuma shared a 235-run stand for the fourth wicket on day one of the Newlands Test, which saw both of them go past their respective hundreds. At the start of day two, South Africa were 316/4 with the second new ball taken from Pakistan, but it didn’t deter the left-handed opening batter to keep the momentum going in his innings before he scored his maiden Test double hundred.
South Africa last went past 600-run total in Tests against England at Newlands in Cape Town in 2016
Ryan Rickelton shared a 148-run stand for the sixth wicket with Kyle Verreynne during which the right-handed wicket-keeper batter scored yet another Test hundred this season. After that, Rickelton had yet another decent partnership with Marco Jansen before his innings came to an end on 259 runs in just 343 balls with 29 fours and three maximums.
Marco Jansen was dismissed after bringing up his fifty, scoring 62 runs in just 54 balls with eight fours and three maximums, following which a cameo from Keshav Maharaj ensured that South Africa went past 600 runs in their first innings against Pakistan. It was at the Newlands in Cape Town in 2016 when the Proteas last got such a big score, declaring their innings at 627/7 against England before the match ended in a draw.
As of this writing, Pakistan have already lost three wickets within the first nine overs with just 20 runs on the board, and following that, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are trying to bring their team out of troubled waters.
