SA vs SL 2024: Test centurion Ryan Rickelton proves himself he belongs with the internationals

But he was two runs away from proving his own potential and scoring his first Test century, and South Africa had all three reviews available, so he decided to challenge umpire Joel Wilson’s decision despite being unsure. Someone, or something, was watching him and the final decision was in his favor with replays showing that his bat had made contact with the ball, despite his own uncertainty.

“I didn’t think I got it right at all,” he said at the post-day news conference. “I think I got a little lucky with some scratches on the UltraEdge. I was checking because it was at 98 and because I thought maybe I was off the line, but I didn’t feel anything.”

Except the “relief” two balls later, when he pushed Vishwa Fernando to the ground to raise his hundred. He could stop questioning whether he was good enough. “I’ve been in and around this team for probably four or five years, having played a handful of games, but I’ve always believed I can do something useful at international level,” he said. “It was always a question of can I do it and can I prove it to myself.”

“So it was a relief to tell myself that I’ve bided my time, but I can do it. Because there are always those doubts. They live in everyone, they definitely live in me. After a couple of failures here and there,” Actually. ..can I do it? Am I talking a good game?’ “It was just the relief to be able to do it and do it for the team as well.”

Individual achievement aside, Rickelton also produced a performance that rescued South Africa from a senior wobble and he was able to do so because he was batting where he is most comfortable.

Rickelton “jumped at the chance,” because he knows he is at his best when conditions are most challenging. “Playing against the new ball in red-ball cricket really helps me, makes me stronger,” he said. “If I get to No. 5 or No. 6, I actually get too relaxed or maybe a little expansive. I had my game plan, having had some relative success in the past at the national level, and I just tried to stick with it for a long time. time. parts of the day.”

That plan also worked because South Africa was on the ropes and he knew he couldn’t afford to make a mistake. “Getting 44 for 3 solidified my plan. We were in some trouble, so I knew I probably had to push even harder. cricket is fun. I think the better things go, the more relaxed individuals become. I’m one of those. guys, under pressure, I forced myself to tense up and, fortunately for me, Temba. [Bavuma] He was seeing it very well and playing incredibly well. “In fact, he took a lot of pressure off me by scoring so freely on what was actually a pretty difficult morning.”

Bavuma dominated his fourth-wicket position, outplaying Rickelton and was the batsman who looked to have odds of a hundred, but he played with a ball he could have left and was dismissed before tea. In the end, Rickelton also made a delivery that he didn’t have to play in and was out before the end of the day. But he believes he has left South Africa in a good position. “In physical education [formerly Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha]if you’re around 350, that’s a really good score,” he said. “We’re a decent partnership away from setting a really good score.”