Hungry and determined Ryan Rickelton just wants to 'bat' and 'score runs'

Ryan Rickelton played a breakthrough innings as South Africa dominated the first day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday.

Rickelton made 176 not out as South Africa piled up 316 for four. He shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 235 with his captain, Temba Bavuma, who made 106.

"I played the kind of innings I wanted to play," said Rickelton after striking 21 fours and a six in a 232-ball innings which included some sparkling stroke play.

It was the sort of batting that got him into international cricket – but which he had seldom been able to produce on the big stage.

Even though he made a century against Sri Lanka just two Test matches earlier, Rickelton had struggled to establish himself as a first-choice player since making his Test debut in March 2022.

A hard-fought century against Sri Lanka was a display of grit rather than dazzle after his first 12 Test innings had not produced a single half-century.

"That wicket (in Gqeberha against Sri Lanka) was a bit two-paced with variable bounce. This wicket was level-paced and I always felt I could be in control," he said.

Rickelton, 28, said he had put his early-career struggles behind him after being dropped and left out of a tour of Australia two years ago. "The team has changed, the environment has changed, I just want to bat, I want to score runs."

There was a challenge early on when South Africa lost three wickets for 72 runs before lunch.

"We lost the first session but we knew the wicket was playing well," said Rickelton.

"We knew we needed to maximise our first innings because I think it will take quite a lot of turn later on. Temba emphasised doing the basics and playing straight and we tried to do that."

Bavuma recorded the fourth Test hundred of a career in which he has made 24 half-centuries. He was out 15 minutes before the close, caught behind off occasional off-spinner Agha. He hit nine fours and two sixes in a 179-ball innings.

Agha took two wickets on an otherwise poor day for the Pakistan bowlers. "Things did not go the way we wanted them to go," he said, "but we have to come tomorrow and try to get them out."

(With inputs from AFP)