Contributions all around as Pakistan beat South Africa in first ODI

After the bowlers had done their job, the batters came good for Pakistan — albeit an all too familiar late collapse — at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Tuesday. In the first international match at the venue in 17 years, Pakistan marked the start of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s era as One-day International captain with a two-wicket victory over South Africa to strike the opening blow in the three-match series. Shaheen had won the toss and elected to field with his side riding on inspired spells of bowling by pacer Naseem Shah and spinners Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed to bowl South Africa out for 263. South Africa had got off to the ideal start with half-centuries for debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57) and the returning Quinton de Kock (63) — the duo sharing a 98-run opening stand. But with the exception of skipper Matthew Breetzke (42) and Corbin Bosch (41) in the end, none of their batters could get going as Naseem (3-40), Saim (2-39) and Abrar (3-53) scythed through their line-up. Half-centuries by Salman Ali Agha (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) then steadied Pakistan midway through their chase after Fakhar Zaman and Saim had laid the platform with a solid 87-run opening partnership. Salman and Rizwan combined for another 91 after Pakistan had lost three quick wickets. Rizwan fell with Pakistan needing 68 more to win but Salman struck a breezy partnership with Hussain Talat and after the hosts had an all to familiar late collapse, Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen saw them through to a confidence-boosting victory. South Africa, meanwhile, will rue they were unable to capitalise on a storming start by Pretorius and De Kock. Pretorius and De Kock, playing his first ODI since returning from retirement after the ODI World Cup, laid into the Pakistan attack from the start as South Africa reached 94-0 by the end of the 15th over. Pakistan needed a breakthrough and it was provided by Saim as Pretorius’ slash found a diving Nawaz; the left-hander departing after having hit seven fours and a six in his 60-ball stay. De Kock, however, was proving a thorn for the hosts, dispatching anything loose to the fence and raised his half century with his fifth four — a sweep off Saim — in exactly 50 balls. Shaheen, however, brought back Naseem into the attack and after just three runs came off overs 23 and 24, the pacer struck when De Kock chopped him onto his stumps, having hit six fours and two sixes in his 72-ball knock. Pakistan got a foothold they wanted and one-drop Tony De Zorzi (18) departed in the next over, offering Saim a tame return. Breetzke and debutant Sinethemba Qeshile began the rebuilding job but just when the Proteas seemed to be gaining momentum, Nawaz struck to remove Qeshile (22) and Donovan Ferreira soon became Abrar’s first victim. Naseem cleaned up Breetzke off a no-ball but bounced back after that disappointment by getting George Linde caught behind two balls later. South Africa reached the 40-over mark at 211-6. The visitors were eyeing a closing flourish with Breetzke and Bosch but Pakistan hit back again when Abrar ended the former’s stay and then had Bjorn Fortuin lbw on the next ball. Bosch, however, got stuck in and took South Africa past 250 — muscling away Shaheen for consecutive boundaries in the 45th over and repeating the trick in the next over by Abrar — before seeing his stumps dismantled by a searing yorker by Shaheen in the penultimate over. Naseem picked up his third wicket in the last over when he cleaned up tailender Lizaad Williams. Saim and fellow opener Fakhar’s measured approach saw the side reach 53-0 in the first 10 overs. The duo stayed compact, avoiding any rash shots, but when opportunities came, they pounced on them. After the pair added 34 more to the partnership, Saim (39 off 42, four fours and six) was trapped leg-before by South African spinner Linde, who surprised the left-hander with a quicker one. Fakhar (45 off 57, four fours and two sixes) then holed Ferreira out to Fortuin in the deep before Fortuin struck gold with the ball, shooting in one to get Babar out lbw as Pakistan felt the heat at 106-3 by the end of the 20th over. The hosts reached 129-3 halfway through the innings before Salman, and Rizwan at the other end amped up the run-rate, the latter flourishing with a lofted cover drive and a sweep for fours as Pakistan crossed the 150-run mark in the 29th over. Boundaries, though, were at a premium after that – only three coming from overs 30 to 36; all of them from Rizwan’s bat. He raised his half century off 66 balls in the 37th over but fell soon after, having hit six fours in his 74-ball knock, finding Pretorius in the deep off Bosch. Hussain, though, got going with a cracking cover drive for four, which left Pakistan needing 58 off the last 10 overs. South Africa had restricted the boundaries in the next three overs but there was no stopping the singles as Hussain and Salman kept rotating the strike, chipping away at the total until the latter hoisted Ferreira down the ground for a sumptuous six to bring up his half-century off 56 balls. Hussain made 22 off 25 with two fours before falling in the 46th over and was soon followed by Hasan Nawaz, stumped off Linde, before Salman departed on the last ball of the 48th over when he skied Lungi Ngidi to Ferreira – having only got the fifth four of his 71-ball innings on the previous delivery. Nawaz, though, settled any nerves or creeping doubts when he launched Ferreira down the ground for six and despite him falling with the scores level, Pakistan got through with two balls to spare.