South Africa: 615 all out (Ryan Rickelton 259; Mohammad Abbas 3/94)

Pakistan: 64/3 (Babar Azam 31*; Kagiso Rabada 2/9)

Pakistan trail by 551 runs

NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN - A double century from Ryan Rickelton, coupled with centuries from Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne, have placed South Africa in a dominant position in the second and final Test at Newlands as Pakistan trail by a mammoth 551 runs going into Day Three today.

Is it too early to call it that perhaps South African Test batters have turned the corner, going from recording miserable batting returns for four consecutive years to dominating bowling attacks home and away?

Some are already calling it the batters’ turning of the page, and who can blame them when South African batters have recorded 13 Test centuries in 12 months (including the ongoing Test at Newlands), having only scored nine in the preceding four years?

Rickelton led from the front at Newlands, vividly showing the hunger for big runs that is within the Bavuma-led Test side as the 28-year-old brought up a career-best 259, a knock that saw the left-handed batter spend almost five sessions at the crease.

⚪️🟢 Day 2 comes to a close with Pakistan on 64-3 and they trail by 551 runs.

Kagiso Rabada got the breakthrough in the first over and struck on either side of a Marco Jansen wicket. We pick it up tomorrow at 10:30.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/B17ya9ZGjn
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 4, 2025

His double century carried a lot of weight as it was the first by a South African opener on home soil since Herschell Gibbs’ 228 against the same opposition here at Newlands over two decades ago.

The marathon double century was also the first by a South African batter, home or away, since Hashim Amla's 201 against England here at Newlands almost a decade ago.

Rickelton was amply supported by the captain himself, Bavuma (106), who scored a century of his own, the fourth of his career while Kyle Verreynne (100) also brought up his fourth as South Africa was bowled out for 615 in the early stages of the third session on Day Two.

The daunting total was the team’s highest this cycle, behind the 576/6 that the young batting unit blasted in Chattogram this summer.

The opening two days saw three individual centuries from the hosts, two 100-plus partnerships including the mammoth 235-run stand between Bavuma and Rickelton as the inexperienced batters continued to establish themselves in Test cricket.

To add icing on the cake, the ever-consistent quicks made early inroads into the visiting batting line-up, with the usual suspect, Kagiso Rabada (2/9), leading from the front.

The 29-year-old opened the account with the wicket of Shan Masood (0), the captain of the visiting Pakistan team. Masood was caught fishing outside the off-stump line, got the outside edge and David Bedingham finished a regulation catch at first slip.

Marco Jansen (1/14) delivered the second scalp, bowling Kamran Ghulam (12) before Rabada got the better of Saud Shakeel for a duck to give South Africa three wickets in the final session.

Debutant Kwena Maphaka (0/12) also got a run from the Kelvin Grove end with the crowd behind him throughout the 18 deliveries he bowled on Saturday.

Wiaan Mulder (0/25) and Keshav Maharaj (0/2) also had their stints with the ball having returned from injury as South Africa left the visitors on 64/3 with Babar Azam (31*) and Mohammad Rizwan (9*) set to lead the visiting batting unit on Day Three.