Ryan Rickelton achieves multiple milestones with 259 against Pakistan

CAPE TOWN: South Africa opening batter Ryan Rickelton etched his name in the history books with his marathon knock of 259 runs in the second Test against Pakistan here at Newlands on Saturday.

The 28-year-old batter struck 32 boundaries, which included three sixes on his way to a 343-ball innings of 259 before getting out while attempting to clear the mid-on boundary off Mir Hamza.

With his marathon knock, Rickelton became the first South African opening batter to record a 250-plus score at home and the second overall after former captain Graeme Smith. It’s worth noting that Smith twice reached that feat during the tour of England in 2003.

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Overall, Rickelton is the eighth South African batter to cross the 250-run mark in Test cricket, while Hashim Amla is the only Proteas player to score a triple hundred.

Notably, this was the first double hundred by a South African batter since Amla’s 201-run knock against England at Cape Town in 2016.

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Rickelton’s 259 is also the third-highest individual Test score for South Africa on home soil. He trails only behind the legendary Gary Kirsten, whose exceptional 275 remains the highest, and the iconic Graeme Pollock, who scored 274.

Highest individual score for South Africa in Test cricket

• Hashim Amla – 311* vs England, The Oval, 19 July 2012
• AB de Villiers – 278* vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 20 November 2010
• Graeme Smith – 277 vs England, Birmingham, 24 July 2003
• Daryll Cullinan – 275* vs New Zealand, Auckland, 27 February 1999
• Gary Kirsten – 275 vs England, Durban, 26 December 1999
• Graeme Pollock – 274 vs Australia, Durban, 5 February 1970
• Graeme Smith – 259 vs England, Lord’s, 31 July 2003
• Ryan Rickelton – 259 vs Pakistan, Cape Town, 3 January 2025

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