Final result
South Africa Cricket won by 10 wickets
Player of the match: RD Rickelton
Result · Test Cricket
South Africa Cricket vs Pakistan Cricket
Result · Test Cricket
Venue par · 208Chase success · 52%POTM · RD Rickelton
Match preview & overview
Rickelton's 259 Powers South Africa to 10-Wicket Win Over Pakistan at Newlands
South Africa beat Pakistan by 10 wickets at Newlands, Cape Town, on 3 January 2025. Ryan Rickelton scored 259 off 343 balls to anchor South Africa's first innings of 615 all out. Pakistan were bowled out for 194 in reply, forced to follow on, and then made 478 for 9 second time around. South Africa knocked off the 58-run target without losing a wicket. The result was settled well before the final innings began.
Rickelton's innings is the standout individual performance of the match by some distance. His 259 is the highest score in this dataset for a Test at Newlands in the current era, and his player-of-the-match award required no deliberation. The scale of South Africa's total, nearly three times the ground's historical average first-innings score of 208, put Pakistan in an unwinnable position from the moment the first innings closed.
Pakistan's second innings was more competitive. Their 478 for 9 represented a genuine effort to bat South Africa out of the game, but 58 was never a target likely to cause concern for the home openers. South Africa reached it with all wickets intact.
Pitch report & venue insights
Newlands, Cape Town — 136-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2002–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
136
T20 matches hosted
208
Avg 1st-innings score
184
Avg 2nd-innings score
52%
Chase success rate
36
Avg powerplay runs
43%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Rickelton's 259 rewrites Newlands record books
Ryan Rickelton's 259 off 343 balls is the highest individual score at Newlands in the facts on record, eclipsing Jacques Kallis's 270 in 2011 among the venue's most significant innings. It drove South Africa to 615 all out, a total that immediately put the match beyond Pakistan's realistic reach.
Angle 02
South Africa's 615 dwarfs the venue average
Angle 03
Pakistan's follow-on and partial recovery in the third innings
Angle 04
South Africa's flawless chase seals a 10-wicket result
Angle 05
Head-to-head remains tight across 104 meetings
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top batter markets in Newlands Tests may favour the home side given the ground's history of producing large first-innings scores for South Africa.
- With an average first-innings total of 208 at Newlands, innings runs markets for touring batters could be more volatile than the venue norm suggests when conditions suit batting.
- Pace bowling performance markets are worth contextualising with Newlands' record: the ground's top individual hauls in this dataset all belong to seamers rather than spinners.
- The chase success rate at Newlands sits at 53 per cent across 136 matches, making fourth-innings result markets less predictable than the overall series history might imply.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about South Africa Cricket vs Pakistan Cricket
What was the result of the South Africa vs Pakistan Test at Cape Town in January 2025?
South Africa won by 10 wickets at Newlands on 3 January 2025. South Africa posted 615 all out in their first innings, bowled Pakistan out for 194, enforced the follow-on, and then knocked off the 58-run target without losing a wicket.
Who was player of the match in the Cape Town Test?
Ryan Rickelton was named player of the match after scoring 259 off 343 balls in South Africa's first innings. His knock was the cornerstone of the 615 all out total that effectively decided the fixture.
Where can I watch South Africa vs Pakistan Tests in the UK?
South Africa and Pakistan Test cricket is typically broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers. BBC Radio's Test Match Special also provides ball-by-ball commentary for selected fixtures.
What is the head-to-head record between South Africa and Pakistan in Tests?
South Africa lead the all-time head-to-head 54 wins to 45 from 104 Test matches, with 5 further matches ending without a result. Before this Cape Town fixture, Pakistan had won the previous five encounters between the two sides.
What is the average first-innings score at Newlands, Cape Town?
Across 136 Tests at Newlands, the average first-innings score is 208. South Africa's 615 in this match was therefore almost three times the historical norm, underlining the exceptional nature of both the pitch conditions and Rickelton's innings.
Did Pakistan follow on in the Cape Town Test?
Yes. Pakistan were dismissed for 194 in their first innings, well short of South Africa's 615, and were made to bat again. They posted 478 for 9 in the follow-on innings but South Africa needed only 58 to win, reaching that target without losing a wicket.
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Photo credits (2)
- Jacques Kallis — photo by Kolkata Knight Riders - Official, CC BY 3.0 · source
- Kagiso Rabada — photo by Blue Square Thing, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source