Proteas batter Ryan Rickelton said on Sunday that returning to Newlands feels like coming home, ahead of the third Test against Australia starting on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old has a strong record at the Cape Town ground. In three first-class matches there, he has scored a century every time.
“I walked out here and I said to Kruger (van Wyk, Proteas fielding coach), ‘It’s good to be home,'” Rickelton told reporters.
Rickelton grew up on the Highveld and attended St Stithians College in Sandton. He has played all his domestic cricket for the Lions.
Even so, Newlands has been kind to him. He batted for 10 hours in the New Year sun there to score a career-best 259. He has also scored many runs for MI Cape Town over four seasons of the Betway SA20.
“To come back to a ground where I’m very familiar with both red-ball and white-ball cricket, and where I’ve had some good success, is quite comforting for me,” he said.
He said players draw confidence from places where they have done well before, no matter how they are playing at the time.
Rickelton is still getting used to a new role in the team. He opened the batting for two years. For the last Test at St George’s Park, he moved to the middle order after taking over the wicketkeeping gloves from Kyle Verreynne.
In Gqeberha, the Proteas were 40 for four when he joined captain Temba Bavuma. The pair held off the Australian bowlers together.
Rickelton said the move has taken some pressure off him. He spoke openly about how hard it is to open the batting in Test cricket.
“Opening the batting in Test cricket sucks. It’s hard! It’s really hard,” he said. He added that he has a lot of respect for players who have opened for their whole careers.
He pointed to teammate Aiden Markram, a free-flowing player who has to hold himself back at the top of the order. Rickelton said batting in the middle order in South Africa can be easier, because the ball gets older and the bowlers get tired.
“I think I’ve batted from one to six for this side and experienced all the roles. Opening is definitely the hardest,” he said.
He warned that the middle order still needs care. “I don’t think it’s a place where you can just kind of let it go, especially against an attack like this,” he said.
Rickelton is expected to keep his place behind the stumps. The Proteas are likely to make only one change, with Dane Paterson or Gerald Coetzee set to replace the injured Anrich Nortje.
Both fast bowlers bowled long spells at training on Sunday. Corbin Bosch helped Van Wyk with Rickelton’s wicketkeeping drills.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.