South Africa vs Pakistan : Ryan Rickelton turns out to be first South Africa Test opener to hit 250 at home, breaks records against Pakistan in Cape Town

Ryan Rickelton turned into the principal South African opener to keep a 250 or more score at home in the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.

Batting in his seventeenth Test innings, Rickelton's long distance race crossed north of two days after South Africa picked to bat first. The 28-year-old completed the first day of the season with his second 100 years on 176 and motored past the twofold hundred in the second meeting on Day 2 close by hundreds of years from captain Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreyne.

Rickelton arrived at his twofold hundred off 266 balls and climbed to 250 off 336 conveyances, after South Africa raged beyond 550 against a hapless Pakistan assault. Rickelton in this manner turned into the main Proteas opener to record a 250 or more Grade at home and the second in general after Graeme Smith, who kept two twofold hundreds of years in Britain in 2003. He is just the eighth South African hitter to cross the 250-run mark in a Test innings, with Hashim Amla staying as the main triple-centurion with his unbeaten 311 against Britain at the Oval in 2012.

The left-hander at last on 259 off 343 conveyances as he miscued a trudge down the ground. His innings included 29 fours and three sixes.

Just Gary Kirsten (275) and Graeme Pollock (274) have recorded a higher Grade than Rickelton for South Africa at home.

Curiously, Rickelton almost amassed as many runs from his most recent trip alone as he has from his past 16 innings. Having made his Test debut in 2022 against Bangladesh, Rickelton kept 357 runs in his past 16 innings at a 25.50 normal and a lone 100 years against Sri Lanka last month in Gqeberha. The twofold hundred has shored his total beyond 600 out of 10 Tests with his normal moving beyond 43.