- Azam and Rizwan bring up a 115-run partnership for the third wicket.
- Ghulam smashes four 4s and five 6s on his way to a 32-ball 63.
- South Africa’s Mafaka gets 4 wickets, Janssen gets 3.
A stellar bowling display by Pakistan’s bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah – overcame the South African batsmen who managed to hammer out 248 runs in 43.1 overs while chasing an imposing total during the second ODI at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, on Thursday.
The win gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, with the final ODI scheduled to be played in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Chasing a mammoth target of 330 runs, the Proteas collapsed to a modest 248 runs despite Heinrich Klaassen’s 97-run knock.
The wicketkeeper-batsman put up a lone battle for the hosts with a blistering 97 off 74 deliveries, laced with eight fours and four sixes.
Besides him, opening batsman Tony De Zorzi was the other notable player who added 34 runs to the total.
Shaheen was the standout bowler for the Green Shirts, returning match figures of 4/47, followed by Naseem Shah, who took 3/37 in 8.3 overs. Abrar Ahmed played a supporting role, getting two scalps.
Earlier, Pakistan set a target of 330 runs against South Africa with the help of Kamran Ghulam’s crushing knock at the end of the innings.
The Green Shirts were put in to bat first, and got off to a poor start to their innings as their opener Abdullah Shafiq was killed off for a duck two balls in the first over with just five runs on the board.
After an early hiccup, star batsman Babar Azam joined forces with centurion in the last over Saim Ayyub (25) in a crucial 48-run partnership, which continued with the opener’s dismissal in the 10th over.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan then joined Babar in the middle and together they put together a match-defining 115-run partnership for the third wicket, which saw both batsmen amass half-centuries.
All-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo eventually broke the threat in the 33rd minute by catching Babar at midwicket.
The star batsman scored 73 off 95 deliveries with the help of seven fours.
Meanwhile, Rizwan then shared a brief 24-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha before falling victim to Kwena Mafaka in the 36th over.
The wicketkeeper-batsman remained Pakistan’s top run-scorer with an 82-ball 80, laced with 10 boundaries including three sixes.
After coming out to bat in the sixth over, Kamran took charge of Pakistan’s batting campaign with a powerful knock.
The right-handed batsman hit four fours and five sixes en route to a 32-ball 63.
He was also involved in crucial partnerships with Salman Ali Agha (33), Mohammad Irfan Khan (15) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (16) before being dismissed on the first delivery of the final.
For South Africa, Mafaka led with four wickets, followed by Marko Janssen with three, while Björn Fortuyn and Phehlokwayo scored with two goals each.
Playing eleven
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
South Africa: Tony De Zorzi, Themba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaassen (CA), Marco Janssen, Andile Phlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuyn, Koena Mafaka, Tabriz Shamsi.