Having missed out on selection for South Africa’s Test series against Australia three years ago, Ryan Rickelton will be keen to contribute significantly as he opens the batting for the Proteas against the old foe in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, in London, starting next week.
The 28-year-old now has 10 Tests under his belt since his debut in 2022, and seems to have firmly established his place at the top of the order.
That’s due in large part to the 259 he scored against Pakistan in the New Year’s Test in Cape Town this year.
In fact, Rickelton has two centuries in his last three Tests, and he will take on the Aussies with newfound confidence.
Rickelton Reflects on Dream Opportunity to Face Australia in England
“Bygones are bygones. It’s in the past. I just have a really great opportunity to play against Australia in England in front of my family. They’ll all be there, and my friends as well. So, what a cool week that’ll be, and if I can contribute with the bat and put in a performance, that’ll make it even sweeter,” Rickelton told SportsBoom.co.za.
“I’ve always watched Australia since I was a young boy, and they’ve been such a dominant force in world cricket for a long time. So, this is a dream come true for me.”
Rickelton’s performances of late have seen previous opener Tony de Zorzi shift down the order, and the responsibility of opening alongside Aiden Markram is massive.
“I’m a bit nervous; it’s a new opportunity for me. It was a new opportunity to open the batting in the New Year’s Test, let alone the final against Australia. But, in saying that, I just want to bat, so if that’s where I need to do my job, then hopefully I can prepare accordingly and try to set the game up for the team and dig in for a period of time.
“With a new ball, generally it requires a bit of searching, which offers up some runs, so hopefully I can do myself justice and face a lengthy or a good sum of balls and back myself. If I face a few dozen deliveries, I’ll be able to get some runs as well.”
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