Sports

Rickelton Adjusts Role Ahead of Newlands Test as Labuschagne Faces Uncertainty

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Ryan Rickelton admitted he does not speak Afrikaans, but he can pronounce the name Labuschagne correctly. He said the name twice during a press conference at Newlands on Sunday while discussing the verbal exchanges between Marco Jansen and Marnus Labuschagne, both from Klerksdorp, that have become a feature of South Africa’s Test series against Australia. “Because Marnus is obviously Afrikaans is the highlight for [Jansen]; that they can chat in Afrikaans to each other,” Rickelton said. “Obviously Marnus isn’t the only one feeling the heat. All of us are in various ways. But [Jansen and Labuschagne] have had a good contest. With Marco’s aggression he doesn’t shy away. He knows what an important cog Marnus has been in the Australian team. We also know the value of getting him out early, because he is still a seriously good player. Marco will be fired up for that and looking to put him under pressure.” Rickelton noted that Labuschagne is not actually Afrikaans; he has an unmistakably Australian accent and moved to Australia with his family when he was ten. Both players are also out of form. Rickelton has gone nine Test innings without reaching fifty and has faced 100 balls only once. Labuschagne’s longest run has lasted 14 innings, and his closest approach to 100 balls was in the second innings of the St George’s Park Test last week, when he was caught by Jansen. Labuschagne’s recent innings have often ended with poor decisions, and Rickelton himself was dismissed by a Matt Renshaw screamer at slip in the first innings at St George’s Park. Whether Jansen and Labuschagne will resume their rivalry in the third and deciding Test at Newlands, which starts on Tuesday, is uncertain because Labuschagne’s place in the XI is not guaranteed. Rickelton, however, can be more confident that he will play. Kyle Verreynne was dropped after the first Test at Kingsmead, and Rickelton took over the gloves and moved from an opening berth to No. 6, a role that seems to suit him. “Sometimes when I’m playing purely as a batter I can stand on the boundary for 90 overs and kind of drift away,” Rickelton said. “That’s what I’ve done growing up, keeping and batting in the middle order. I really enjoyed that; being locked in every single ball. I think it adds to my batting as well.” He explained that opening the batting in Test cricket is difficult and that the middle order can be more expressive as the ball ages. He added that the top three batsmen work hard to take the newness of the ball away, and the middle order must capitalize on that work. Rickelton has played only three of his 73 first‑class matches at Newlands, but they were memorable. In January 2022 he scored 90 and 102 not out for the Lions against Western Province, and in November of the same year he made an unbeaten 112. In January last year he scored a career‑best 259 in the first innings against Pakistan. “To come back to a ground where I'm familiar with red‑ball and white‑ball cricket, and where I’ve had some success, is comforting,” he said. He batted at No. 4 in those provincial matches but opened in the Test. The article also notes that the Labuschagne family originally came to South Africa as Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France, where the name sounded more like the Australian version.