ryan rickelton celebrated double century

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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