Rickelton 259, Verreynne 100 and Jansen fifty lead SA’s domination of Pakistan

South Africa 566 for 7 (Rickelton 259, Verreynne 100, Jansen 57*, Salman 3-129) vs Pakistan

Having taken command before lunch, South Africa ground Pakistan into the dust in the afternoon. Ryan Rickelton ended up with 259, falling just short of Stephen Fleming’s 262 as the highest score at Newlands. Kyle Verreynne brought up his fourth Test hundred. Marco Jansen, out of form all year in 2024, heralded the new year with a whirlwind half-century, six fours and three sixes helping him get there in 42 balls.

A total of 137 runs were added in the session, with South Africa having surged to 566 for 7, their highest score at home in four years. Pakistan gamely battled on, but their efforts never looked like bearing fruit on a wicket that had long since flattened, and batters that had long since settled. Much of the session became a milestone-marking exercise.

Verreynne continued with the belligerence that lit up the first session, a boundary off Abbas and a single off the next ball bringing up three figures. It brought Newlands to its feet once more; they may have sore legs from the frequency with which they had to do that.

Salman Ali Agha struck next over to prise him out as Verreynne went for a slog sweep, but it did little to stymie South Africa’s momentum. With no scoreboard pressure, Jansen let his natural talent speak for itself, swinging freely and timing it beautifully. He took 11 balls to get off the mark, but once he did, there was no stopping him. Two fours and a six off Khurram Shahzad in two successive overs helped bring up the 50 partnership with Rickelton in 46 balls, even as both Rickelton and Jansen helped themselves to sixes off Agha.

Pakistan finally saw the back of Rickelton before tea was called. Having slapped Mir Hamza over his head for four, he top-edged the next ball to Abbas at long-on, who hung on to send him on his way, but not before he had nearly doubled his Test tally in one innings.

In the morning, Rickelton had become the first South African in eight years to score a Test double hundred as South Africa tightened their grip on the second Test in Cape Town. Pakistan began the session with some promise, taking the new ball immediately and striking within four overs, when Mohammad Abbas tempted David Bedingham into a push outside off stump and induced an outside edge.

It gave Pakistan a lift, but Rickelton merely carried on with the discipline that saw him go in overnight unbeaten on 176, cautious against the length deliveries and dismissive of everything else. Verreynne, meanwhile was less discerning in his shot selection, a hook over deep backward square off Abbas revealing his intentions. It was a shot that defined the session for him; he picked up another two sixes off Jamal in the final over before lunch the same way.

When Shan Masood put in three fielders close in at cover, Verreynne still found a way to pierce them through that region against Hamza, whose attempts to induce cover drives were successful, just not in the way he had hoped.

At the other end, Rickelton got to his double hundred with a punch through the off side, haring off halfway down the field in celebration. But the highlights all belonged to Verreynne, who greeted Salman’s arrival to the crease with a reverse sweep for four off the second ball, and another one to finish the over off. Verreynne even took Jamal down by plundering 17 in an over.

It wasn’t quite declaration bowling, but Pakistan are getting there. By the end of the second session, it had arrived.

Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000