Tsotsobe haul checks Pak progress in first game

The 26-year-old from Eastern Province took four for 27 off his 10 tight overs as Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for a mere 46 runs after winning the toss and deciding to bat on a flat Abu Dhabi stadium pitch.

Tsotsobe, who took five wickets in South Africa’s 2-0 win in the Twenty20 series, rocked the Pakistan middle-order with a burst of three wickets off just nine balls during his second four-over spell.

Tsotsobe’s effort backed by disciplined spin bowling from Johan Botha (2/40) put brakes on Pakistan’s innings after Mohammad Hafeez (68) and Younis Khan (54) put on 114 for the second wicket.

Tsotsobe removed opener Asad Shafiq (19) in the eighth over before Younis -- returning to the side after being cleared by Pakistan Cricket Board last month following a ban on discipline violation, joined Hafeez in a damage repair act.

Hafeez hit seven boundaries during his 84-ball sixth one-day fifty before cutting Botha straight into the hands of Charl Langeveldt.

Four overs later, Younis was trapped leg-before by Botha to push Pakistan firmly on to the backfoot.

Younis hit two boundaries during his 75-ball knock.
Tsotsobe’s triple strike followed as he removed Misbah-ul-Haq (14), Shahid Afridi (1) and Abdul Razzaq (two) to complete Pakistan’s slide on a similar pattern of Twenty20 matches in which they were restricted to 119 and 120 for nine in the two matches.
Tsotsobe’s previous best bowling figures were four for 50 against Australia on his one-day debut at Perth during last year’s series.

Score Board

PAKISTAN

Shafiq c Amla b Tsotsobe    19
Hafeez c Langeveldt b Botha    68
Younis lbw Botha    54
Misbah c Ingram b Tsotsobe    14
Alam b Langeveldt    9
Afridi c Smith b Tsotsobe    1
Razzaq c De Villiers b Tsotsobe    2
Zulqarnain (not out)    12
Gul c De Villiers b Morkel    3
Ajmal (run out)    3
Akhtar c Miller b Langeveldt    6
Extras (LB-4, W-8)    12    
Total (all out, 49 overs)    203
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-140, 3-157, 4-165, 5-167, 6-173, 7-177, 8-183, 9-196.
Bowling: Langeveldt 10-1-47-2, Tsotsobe 10-3-27-4, Morkel 8-0-32-1, Kallis 6-0-22-0, Botha 10-0-40-2, Duminy 5-0-31-0.