Clinical Proteas secure series victory

South Africa reinforced their status as the world’s number one Test team when they beat Pakistan by four wickets on the fourth day of the second Test at Newlands here on Sunday.

The victory, with a day to spare, gave South Africa a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series. It came after a dramatic Pakistan collapse in their second innings.

Pakistan were bowled out for 169 after starting the day on a relatively comfortable 100 for three. They lost their last six wickets for 22 runs on either side of lunch. At one stage four wickets fell in 13 balls, including three off successive deliveries.

The collapse was engineered by left-arm spinner Robin Peterson and opening bowler Vernon Philander, who took three wickets each before Dale Steyn finished off the Pakistan innings. Peterson finished with three for 73 and Philander took four for 40.

The result was a disappointment for Pakistan, who had seemed on top after two days before a strong fightback by South Africa’s lower order batsmen on Saturday. Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took four for 51 in South Africa’s run chase to finish with match figures of ten for 147.

Set to make 182 to win, South Africa lost Alviro Petersen ten runs into their chase, when he was leg before wicket to Umar Gul for one.

Captain Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla put on 53 for the second wicket before Smith was leg before to Saeed Ajmal for 29 shortly before tea.

Ajmal gained a second leg before decision when he dismissed Jacques Kallis for 21.
Amla and De Villiers shared a rapid 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket before both batsmen perished playing attacking shots. Faf du Plessis became Ajmal’s tenth victim of the match before Dean Elgar hit the winning run.

Pakistan made slow but solid progress at the start of the day, seeing off the threat of fast bowlers Philander and Steyn.

But they had only added 14 runs in 8.2 overs to their overnight total of 100 for three when captain Misbah-ul-Haq top-edged a sweep against Peterson and was caught by Smith at short fine leg for 44.

Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq added 33 for the fifth wicket before Shafiq was unlucky to see a defensive stroke off Philander bounce up and then go back on to his stumps.


PAKISTAN (I Innings): 338
SOUTH AFRICA (I Innings): 326.
PAKISTAN (II Innings, O/n: 100-3):
Hafeez lbw Steyn    0
Jamshed lbw Philander    0
Ali c De Villiers b Philander    65
Younis b Steyn    14
Misbah c Smith b Peterson    44
Shafiq b Philander    19
Sarfraz b Peterson    5
Tanvir (not out)    10
Gul c Petersen b Philander    0
Ajmal b Peterson    4
Irfan c Petersen b Steyn    2
Extras (LB-2, W-4)    6
Total (all out, 75.3 overs)    169
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-7, 3-45, 4-114, 5-147, 6-152, 7-152, 8-152, 9-158.
Bowling: Steyn 18.3-5-38-3, Philander 19-6-40-4, Morkel 3.1-0-8-0, Peterson 29-8-73-3, Kallis 5.5-2-8-0.
South Africa (II Innings)
Petersen lbw Gul    1
Smith lbw Ajmal    29
Amla b Ajmal    58
Kallis lbw Ajmal    21
De Villiers c Sarfraz b Tanvir    36
Du Plessis lbw Ajmal    15
Elgar (not out)    11
Peterson (not out)    1
Extras (B-5, NB-5)    10
Total (for 6 wkts, 43.1 overs)    182
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-63, 3-88, 4-150, 5-168, 6-180.
Bowling: Irfan 10-1-35-0, Gul 8-0-46-1, Ajmal 18.1-2-51-4, Hafeez 2-1-11-0, Tanvir 5-0-34-1.