‘Emotional’ Verreynne hopes to dedicate Newlands win to Prince family

Proteas wicket-keeper batter Kyle Verreynne said he and his team-mates were looking to get a win against Pakistan in the second Test at Newlands and dedicate it to team batting coach and former Proteas batter Ashwell Prince, who recently lost his wife to illness.

The Proteas are well-placed after day two of the Test in Cape Town, having won the first match of the series by two wickets in Centurion last week.

The home team scored 615 in their first inning with Ryan Rickelton contributing 259, Temba Bavuma 106 and Verreynne 100. Pakistan had already lost three wickets in their first knock at the close of play on Saturday.

‘Special’

“It was quite special,” Verreynne said about his swashbuckling innings on Saturday.

“I started getting a bit emotional at lunchtime when I had 70 odd. It’s probably why I also got out (on 100), I was so drained. It was incredibly special … also having my mom and brother here was really special.”

Verreynne went on to talk about Prince, the former Proteas batter and Western Province coach and national team batting consultant, who became a father figure for the wicket-keeper batter when he lost his father a few years ago.

“I lost my dad a few years ago and Ashwell was someone who became a father figure to me. He helped me through my life in the last few years, and to now see what they’re going through, with his three kids, is difficult.

“A lot of us here are close to him. It’s definitely on our minds … to step into the change room and he’s not there. We want to do him and the family proud, and hopefully get the win and dedicate it to him and his family.”

Rickelton knock

Verreynne was also full of praise for team-mate Rickelton, who scored a massive 259 runs, the second highest Test score recorded at Newlands.

“It was very nice,” he said when asked about their shared time at the crease. “I was also there when he got his maiden 100 in PE (Gqeberha, at the beginning of December, against Sri Lanka). It’s nice batting with him … he was so calm out there today and it felt like he could go on for ages. That put me at ease.”

Prince’s wife, Melissa, 41, passed away last Sunday.