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South Africa claimed two wickets in the post-lunch session to leave Pakistan 398 for five at tea, a deficit of just 23, on the fourth day of the second Test at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on Monday afternoon.
Shan Masood had stood tall and defiant but the captain’s 371 minute knock eventually came to an end, trapped in front by Kwena Maphaka (13-0-47-1), with the initial appeal being turned down by the umpire.
Masood’s dismay at Hawk Eye’s imaging left the visiting captain fuming as he walked off the pitch after facing 251 deliveries and striking 17 boundaries for a brilliant 145. Masood and Babar Azam (81) had defied the South African attack, laying down a 205-run opening stand before Babar drove a wide delivery from Marco Jansen (19-0-85-2) to David Bedingham in the gully region just 15 minutes before the close on day three.
Masood and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad (18) had resumed this morning with the total on 213 for one, a deficit of 208 runs on South Africa’s first innings total of 615. The South African bowlers only managed to prise two wickets in the morning session, that of Shahzad, caught by Keshav Maharaj at point from the bowling of Jansen and then Kamran Ghulam, clean-bowled by Kagiso Rabada (21-2-91-2) for 28.
Ghulam had been given a life when on nought by Bedingham at first slip from the bowling of Jansen.
Masood and Saud Shakeel took their side to lunch with the total on 312 for three, a deficit of just 109 runs. However, the Proteas took the new ball shortly after the resumption of play and it paid dividends.
Rabada first had Shakeel edging through to Aiden Markram at second slip for 23 before Maphaka struck with the big wicket of the Pakistan captain.
With Pakistan 329 for five, the South African fans were expecting their side to steam role their way through the final Pakistan batting order but Salman Agha (31 not out) and Mohammad Rizwan (31 not out) carried their bats through to tea with a wonderful unbroken stand of 69.
The visitors had been enforced to follow-on after being bundled out for 194 in their first innings with Rabada (15-3-55-3) leading the charge. Maphaka, making his debut, claimed 2-43, with his maiden Test wicket being that of Babar Azam who top-scored with 58.
Maharaj (8-2-14-2) also picked up two wickets while Jansen (12-4-36-1) and Wiaan Mulder (11-0-44-1) weighing in on the fun.
However, Pakistan’s second innings has been in complete contrast to their first effort with Masood and Babar laying a foundation for an epic fight, considering that regular opener, Saim Ayub had fractured his ankle on the opening day and has not been able to bat.
The pairs opening stand outshone the previous-best against South Africa of 137, set by Taufeeq Umar and Imran Farhat back in 2002-03.
Ryan Rickelton’s masterful 259 in just over 10 hours at the crease was the one highlight of many during South Africa’s five session at the crease. Rickelton surpassed his previous First Class best of 202 not out while sharing in a record-breaking stand for the fourth wicket with captain Temba Bavuma (106).
The pair added 235 for the fourth wicket at Newlands, beating the previous-best of 197 set by Les Ames and Wally Hammond for England back in 1938-39. This was after the visitors had reduced the home side to 72 for three at lunch on the first day with Markram (17), Mulder and Tristan Stubbs (0) all back in the pavilion.
Rickelton and Bavuma batted for most of the first day before Bavuma ran out of steam, edging spinner Salman Agha (38-4-148-3) through to Rizwan behind the stumps shortly before stumps.
Bedingham (5) did not last long on the second morning before Rickelton was joined at the crease by Kyle Verreynne (100). The pair mounted more hardship on the visiting bowling attack, adding 148 for the sixth-wicket.
Rickelton’s epic innings finally came to an end when he holed out to Mohammad Abbas at long on from the bowling of Mir Hamza (30-3-127-2). The departures of Verreynne and Rickelton did not spare Pakistan from the batting onslaught as Jansen (62) and Maharaj (40) made sure that South Africa passed the 600-run mark.
Such was the ferocity of the batting that Jansen needed just 54 balls before being caught in the covers by Babar from the bowling of Hamza while Maharaj faced 35 balls before edging Shahzad (25-4-123-2) through to Rizwan.
Maphaka’s first foray with the bat in Test cricket lasted all of two deliveries before being cleaned-up by Abbas (27.3-1-94-3).
