Cape Town [South Africa], January 4 (ANI): Left-handed batter Ryan Rickelton made history on Saturday, hitting South Africa's first-ever double-century in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

The 28-year-old achieved this accomplishment during the second Test against Pakistan at Cape Town's Newlands Stadium.

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During his innings, Rickelton made 259 in 343 balls. His knock was laced with 29 fours and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 75.51, which is the highest strike rate by a South African batter in a knock of 250-plus runs, outdoing Graeme Smith's knock of 277 in 373 balls against England in 2003, which came at a strike rate of 74.26.

South Africa's previous highest score in the ICC World Test Championship was a knock of 199 by Faf Du Plessis against Sri Lanka in 2020 at Centurion.

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Also, this is the first double century by a South African batter in Tests while playing as an opener for the first time ever and only the fourth instance of such an innings, with previous being: Devon Conway (200 against England at Lord's in 2021 for New Zealand), Graeme Smith (200 against Bangladesh in 2002), Sri Lanka's Brendon Kuruppu (201* against New Zealand at Colombo in 1987).

In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle, Rickelton has scored 451 runs in six Tests at an average of 56.37, with a double century and a century in nine innings.

Coming to the match, South Africa, leading the series 1-0 already, won the toss and elected to bat first.

After being reduced to 72/3, a 235-run fourth-wicket stand between Rickelton and skipper Temba Bavuma (106 in 179 balls, with nine fours and two sixes), a 148-run sixth-wicket stand between Rickelton and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne (100 in 147 balls, with nine fours and five sixes) and an 86-run stand between Rickelton and Marco Jansen (57* in 49 balls) took Proteas to a massive 566/7 at the end of second session. (ANI)

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