Temba (again) and Ricks...

Stats Fest...

More Temba Bavuma. And a lot more Ryan Rickelton. Any thoughts that South Africa might suffer an anti-climactic ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ slump following last week’s breath-taking win and qualification for the World Test Championship final were emphatically erased during their Newlands record fourth partnership of 235.

The home recovered from a lunch time score of 72-3 to reach 316-4 at the close of the second Test against Pakistan and within sight of an indomitable position, especially with the tourists opening batsman, Saim Ayub, out of the contest after twisting his ankle in the field.

The sun shone, the crowd cheered, the runs flowed and the bowlers toiled. The beers flowed as easily as the feel-good emotions about South African Test cricket which haven’t been anywhere near the ‘full’ level since 2012.

When Tony de Zorzi was ruled out of the Test with a calf strain no replacement was called up. Coach Shukri Conrad knew what he had in the squad – a retreaded opener in middle order clothing, and a batsman with a decent record at Newlands. Before the second Test Rickelton had played twice for the Lions against WP in Cape Town scoring 90 & 102 three years ago and 13 and 112 two years later. He added 176* against Pakistan.

During the 2010s Bavuma averaged 29.90 in Test cricket. In the 2020s he has averaged 47. The main difference? His average against spin in the previous decade was 29.9. In this decade it is 81.62. He has hit six sixes this summer having managed eight in the preceding 10 years.

Similarly interesting is his record of 2797 runs at an average of 34.53 before he accepted the captaincy. Since he became the team’s leader he has scored 716 runs at 55.07. Only Kane Williamson has a superior average as a captain/batsman – 61.81.

Rickelton had scored 17 centuries and 17 50s in first-class cricket (including Tests) before this Test. Five of his first eight centuries were in excess of 150 but had not exceeded 133 since then. He was clearly ‘due’ another Daddy Hundred. His average from the 18 centuries is well over 200, boosted by six not outs.

Even the most dedicated batters don’t practise batting for an entire day. They may face 300 balls in a net session but that can be done in an hour and a half. Spending seven hours on your feet, running your partner’s runs, standing through drinks breaks – that is a real test. Rickelton, 28, had done it just twice before in his career, once against KZN in 2017 and once against Free State two years later.

Bavuma scored one century and 20 50s in his first 55 Tests in which he averaged 37.78. In his last eight Tests he has three centuries and four 50s for an average of 72.45.