Rickelton and Bavuma Lead South Africa’s Charge
Ryan Rickelton smashed his second career century, while captain Temba Bavuma remained unbeaten on 51 to put South Africa in a commanding position on Day 1 of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday.
Early Wickets Test South Africa’s Resilience
South Africa faced an early setback, losing their third wicket just before Lunch. Salman Ali Agha dismissed Tristan Stubbs for a duck, leaving the hosts at a precarious 72-3. Rickelton, however, held his ground, reaching 50* at the break.
A Promising Start for the Hosts
After choosing to bat first, South Africa’s openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram stitched a promising 61-run partnership. Markram, who looked in decent touch, fell to Khurram Shahzad after scoring 17 runs off 40 deliveries.
Pakistan Strike Back with Key Dismissals
The returning Wiaan Mulder managed only 5 runs before being dismissed by Mohammad Abbas, while Stubbs fell to Salman Ali Agha to cap off a challenging first session for the Proteas.
Team Lineups
Pakistan Playing XI:
Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad.
South Africa Playing XI:
Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.
Stay tuned for updates as South Africa looks to build on their strong start and Pakistan aims to regain control in this gripping contest
