Ryan Rickelton scored a milestone double century against Pakistan in Cape Town today (January 4), giving South Africa their first 200-plus individual score in the World Test Championship.
Playing in just the ninth Test of his career, the opener capitalised after a mammoth partnership with captain Temba Bavuma on day one. The pair put on 235 runs together after the Proteas slipped to 72-3, before Bavuma was dismissed in the evening session.
Rickelton was on 176 overnight before resuming with David Bedingham in the morning. He reached his double-century in the 13th over of the day with a single off Mir Hamza, celebrating by balancing his helmet on the end of his bat and gesturing towards the dressing room.
The landmark is the first time a South Africa player has passed 200 in a men's Test since Hashim Amla in 2016, almost exactly nine years ago to the day. Amla's innings was on the same ground as Rickelton's, but came against England. It was the same Test in which Ben Stokes slammed the second-fastest double-century in history, and in which Jonny Bairstow hit his maiden Test hundred in a record 399-run partnership.
Amla's double-century was scored over three years before the World Test Championship was established, meaning Rickelton's is the first double-century for South Africa in the WTC. It's also the 30th double-hundred scored since the start of the first edition of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh are now the only team who compete in the tournament who have yet to have a player register a score of 200 plus in the competition.
Double-centuries scored by South Africa players in men's Tests since 2000
Player | Score | Opposition | Venue | Year |
Gary Kirsten | 220 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2001 |
Graeme Smith | 200 | Bangladesh | East London | 2002 |
Herschelle Gibbs | 228 | Pakistan | Cape Town | 2003 |
Jacques Rudolph | 222* | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2003 |
Graeme Smith | 277 | England | Birmingham | 2003 |
Graeme Smith | 259 | England | Lord's | 2003 |
Neil McKenzie | 226 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2008 |
Graeme Smith | 232 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2008 |
AB de Villiers | 217* | India | Ahmedabad | 2008 |
Hashim Amla | 253* | India | Nagpur | 2010 |
AB de Villiers | 278* | Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 2010 |
Jacques Kallis | 201* | India | Centurion | 2010 |
Jacques Kallis | 224 | Sri Lanka | Cape Town | 2012 |
Hashim Amla | 311* | England | The Oval | 2012 |
Graeme Smith | 234 | Pakistan | Dubai | 2013 |
Hashim Amla | 208 | West Indies | Centurion | 2014 |
Hashim Amla | 201 | England | Cape Town | 2016 |
Ryan Rickelton | 213* | Pakistan | Cape Town | 2025 |
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