Lovely day in CT.

Abbas in for a second spell to take us to lunch.

Rickelton approaching a half century, but he needs to make it to lunch and not think about the milestone.

Zorzi, Paterson and Bosch left out of this one.

Zorzi is injured, just as well cos he's been a bunny.

But Bosch and Paterson did well...so who knows why they've been left out.

Abbas gets Mulder.

Flashing at a length ball outside off. It's clearly missing everything and lunch is around the corner. But he flashes. Who is coaching these guys? Where is the plan? Where is the discipline?

Proteas picking up where they left off, not being able to concentrate and play test cricket.

Another low scoring one potentially on the cards.

70/2

And Stubbs edges one the keeper.

72/3.

They'll be lucky to get 300 here.

Rickelton got his half century and will be there with Bavuma after lunch.

Bavuma and Rickelton carrying after lunch without too much happening.

If test cricket batting isn't boring then something ain't working. And it feels boring right now...so maybe we're headed for a nice afternoon session for the Proteas.

Rickelton up to 72 now, off of 97.

He's opening up a little and punishing loose balls.

Bavuma, on 18, needs to support him here.

125 for 3.

Rickleton 77 and Bavuma 27.

Not much happening off the pitch and ball 35 overs old now.

That's all you need to do. Stay in, dont play stupid shots, and the runs will come.

If these two can make it to tea time, that'll be huge for the Proteas.

Rickelton into the 90s now.

Playing so lovely no-risk shots.

150 up for the Proteas

Rickleton on 95 now. Bavuma in 42.

They need to get to their milestones and kick on.

I don't like both of them being this close to a 100 and a 50 respectively.

...it creates a little too many nerves.

If had to put money on it, I say one of them falls before the milestone. Even though the pitch is flat and they're both settled.

Let's see if I'd have won some money....

Rickleton on 99 now...

Damn, I hope he gets the 100

Commentators giving Rickleton big props here, deservedly so...he's been rock solid and playing beautifully. Lots of straight drives and no false shots.

His first class average is 50.

We need more of him.

99 and 45 for Rickleton and Bavuma respectively now.

Still feels a bit nervy...

Rickleton facing a new over now and he's on 99.

AND THERE IT IS!!! Rickleton glances one down the leg side for 4 and gets 2nd Test century.

Good job!!!

100 partnership up as well.

Must give Bavuma props for how he's played too.

Thought you once said you'd like to run over Bavuma with a bus.

Bavuma gets to his milestone.

Proteas set for big scoring this afternoon.

198/3

Bavuma 53 and Rickleton 117.

400 in the 1st innings here, and you're likely going to win.

Ball is 54 overs old. New ball is still a way off.

400 might be far from here, but if our top 6 can get to 300, and the tail wags a touch getting us to 350, then I still be relatively comfortable.

200 up for the Proteas.

Bavuma hits a six.

Be nice if could get a 100 here.

Tea came and went, gave me just enough time to embarrass Denise on the thread she created. And Bavuma and Rickleton have demoralised Pakistan's bowling attack by continuing on as solidly after Tea as they did before.

Rickleton approaching 150 now...

He just hit a big six over square leg and is on 144

264 for 3 now.

Rickleton on 148 Bavuma on 89

Pakistan have been trying so many weird things to the partnership. Nothing is working for them.

As I type this, Rickleton plays an imperious cover drive to take him to 152.

Brilliant batting.

Bavuma got his 100 and then got out.

Didn't see the dismissal but he helped put SA into a dominant position here.

https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/search/2/image?events=776261771&family=editorial

Hopefully Rickleton gets to 200. Not many Saffas have a test 200 to their names.

Unless there is a major collapse this morning, it's looking there are a long few days ahead for Pakistan.

In case people didn't know, there's an 18 year-old making his test debut for the Proteas.

Kwena Maphaka - his average bowling speed is 145km/h with a fastest recorded ball of 152km/h.

He's much in the vein of a Dale Steyn, where he's not very tall and skids its through at express pace. I've honestly not see a great of him apart from in the recent ODI...but word is that he's got 500 yeast crickets in him.

St Stithians representing in the Proteas atm, with 4 of the current 11 from that school.

Abbas in to bowl the 2nd over of the day...

Can he dig Pakistan out of trouble.

I can see him taking some wickets this morning.

And Abbas takes his first with Bedingham flailing at a short and wide one.

...apart from the big partnership, the rest of the Saffas are still getting out in the same irresponsible ways.

Rickleton holding strong this morning and only needs 9 to get to 200.

Verrynne has been okay, but looking a tad unsettled.

...Abbas bowling to Verrynne now and a nice little contest ensuing.

Rickleton on 199...

He's been playing some great straight drives.

And he punches one through the off, gets the single, and he's got 200.

A rock solid innings. He's given Pakistan nothing. I can't recall a single false shot.

Brilliant innings!!!

Plum, I'm so impressed, I want to make him the captain!!!

Verrynne on 49 now...

Rickleton on 211

Pakistan in deep trouble here. The game is pretty much gone for them.

Howzit, Draad

Kyle gets 50.

And the Proteas go past 400.

450 seems a feasible deceleration, particularly since one of Pakistan's batters is out the game after breaking his ankle in the field yesterday.

Damn!!! Verrynne on a roll!!!

74 off 88!!!

Lunch @ Newlands...429-5

Lunch now, Proteas 429/5

Perhaps they'll try to bat until tea. They scored pretty quickly so could go well beyond 500 by then.

We should bat the day out, face one over tomorrow and then declare...there's enough time...but they'll probably try and get a few wickets this afternoon still.

We already have enough. I would smash it from now until 12 overs before tea.

Then have a bash at then before and after tea.

Rickleton on 247 now...

He's about 30 away from the highest ever score by a Saffa test batter.

We've got enough, but we should ride this wave and then smash them to smithereens...I hope they bat through the day...best time for new ball bowling at Newlands is 1st thing in the morning. 

250 up for Rickleton

He just keeps going and going...

Already a generational achievement...we should mould our batting lineup around him...

Giraffe loves these conditions and situation...skop gat Marco!!!

I wanna see 700...Newlands in prime form it seems?

Lieflikk e dag innie Kaap.

Giraffe gets his 50 off 42.

Damn...Rickleton gos for 259!!!Respect!!!

7th all time scorer in probably the poorest team in decades...huge achievement. 

Pakistan in all sorts of shit now.

18/2...and SA's fastest bowler hasn't bowled yet.

Gotta feel for a team that is this far behind, with a mountain this size to climb, and already faltering.

Another one for KG.

Pakistan could be in for a record loss here.

20/3

Ouch!!!

Maphaka gets his first ball in test cricket.

Couple of loose ones to start, and he's just warming up.

Still waiting for his matric exam results haha

He can bowl as fast and as free as he wants here, plenty of runs and game situation to play with.

First over done.

He's warm now, let's see how his second over goes.

Bit of trivia...is he the youngest ever test player for SA?

Maphaka starts his second over...

Getting up to 143km/h now...but a bit wider than he needs to be.

Terrific mature innings by Rickleton. He looks very sound technically.

I watched about 90% of his innings and it was flawless. The track was flat on days 1 & 2 but I can't remember watching someone bat for that long and be that organised. I'm not exaggerating when I say I can't think of a single false shot that he played.

The only dampener would probably be that the Pakistani bowlers offered little variation. But you can only play what is in front of you.

Quite ironic that I have been complaining about the Proteas' top 6 not being able to focus for sustained periods and then Rickleton plays probably the most mindful innings I've ever watched.

The concentration and determination reminds of Biff and Amla...

For now, the two certainties in the top 6 going forward are Stubbs and Rickleton.

Bedingham is good too but he's struggling to find his feet.

Zorzi looked okay against Sri Lanaka but terrible against Pakistan. Pakistan don't even have express pace but in the first Test one could tell that anything over 140lm/h, that is slightly accurate, is a step above his ability. It's not like he got out to excellent balls or anything, he just looked completely troubled and uncomfortable until he eventually got out, on both occasions.

Maharaj is retiring soon. So I rate Markram should replace him. Bat at 7 and bowl a lot more.

Verrynne is the best keep batsman we have at the moment and he got a nice quick 100 yesterday, but he's also struggled a bit.

And if Warner could have a test career with Australia then Brevis could have one for South Africa. Kinda that simple really. I'd have him in the Proteas playing at 5.

So I'd go, Rickleton, ________, Stubbs, Brevis, Bedingham, Verrynne, Markram, Jansen, KG + 2x Bowlers.

Jansen starts off proceedings.

He's bowling accurately and forcing the batters to play.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Plenty of false shots this morning from Pakistan but no wickets yet. They need to survive to the drinks break and then really dig in between that and lunch.

The pitch is doing very little and nobody is moving it too much....

Priority number 1 = avoid the follow-on and force SA to bat again. To do that they will need to get 415, meaning they need 339 more, and are batter down due to injury.

If one of the guys currently in can get a big hundred, they can get there, but it's very long way off at this point.

Lol!!!

South Africa employing the short and to the body tactics now.

What's funny about it is that we have 4 bowlers that are quick enough to do it...but Pakistan, known for their supremely fast bowlers, didn't have anyone quick enough when they bowled and tried it.

100/3 now.

Pakistan need 315 more to avoid the follow-on.

They're playing some lovely strokes now as Babar gets to 50.

Batting with the metal weight of that mammoth score hanging over your head is probably the most difficult thing in the game. It's easy to say "Oh, ignore the scoreboard."

...but it's the doing that requires all the fortitude.

Maphaka on now and much more accurate this morning.

He's bowling nicely at the 6th with line and bring it across the batter.

This pitch is dead...like almost as dead as Denise's personality.

Weird that they took Jansen off.

He bowled a nice little spell of short balls that created some discomfort for Pakistan.

And Maphaka takes Babar!!!

His first test wicket. Not a pretty one but they all count as Barbar tickles one the on side and Verrynne collects.

And Maphaka is cranking it up, 145km/h and at the body.

What the hell was Rizwan thinking? They trail by a mountain of runs and he charges down the pitch and tries to slog Mulder over mid-wicket.

...ends up playing it onto his stumps.

Terrible cricket by him.

I'd drop him if I were the coach. That's seriously disappointing.

Maharaj now in on the act in his first over...

Verrynne nearly collects to stump the advancing Salman.

Pakistan 155/6

Pakistan falling apart now.

They're gonna lose by an innings and some runs here.

Sucks for them but their bowlers and captain are kind of to blame. He had no ideas and what ideas he did have were poorly executed.

Pakistan 194/9

Basically means they're all out since they're down a man because of the injury.

The follow-on has been enforced.

...and Pakistan will need well over 400.

A new nut, with over an hour to go until tea, lots of time left today.

Terrible time for Pakistan.

Lioking better for Pakistan...maybe they can make us bat again...would be an achievement on it's own...

I switched off after we bowled them out the first time. Came back for a little of their second innings.

The SA bowlers were tired and the pitch flatter than Denise's head.

We'll probably bowl them out tomorrow though.

Will be nice if they can get a lead of 100 though. Will be a tricky little score for the Proteas to get.

Had to work today so couldn't watch any but Pakistan have managed to get into a lead of 27 with 2 batter remaining.

That's damn well done. Geez, after the demoralisation of that mammoth score from SA, to come back and show heart in a losing cause like that, it's great to see. I think they'll have learned a lot from this second innings of theirs, and from this test series in general.

Who knows what would have happened had one of their batters not injured himself on day 1.

Cricket wins

And the Proteas take the series 2-0.

Easy win in the end. Set up beautifully by Rickleton with an innings that was nothing less than a purist's lesson in Test batting.

Great fight back from the Pakistanis. They won the ODI series and should really have drawn this Test series if only for the heroics of KG and Jansen in the first test.

Great job.