WHAT’S ON CRICKET

Pakistan 168/9 South Africa 141/9 Pakistan won by 27 runs.

PAKISTAN earned reward at the end of a tour in which they showed plenty of skill and endeavour, but were let down by their consistency.

Pakistan included Muhammad Amir for the first time in the T20 series. Pakistan’s overall performance with the ball was disciplined, starting in the powerplay where Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim took wickets which kept the South Africans in check with Imad picking up 1/19 at Centurion yesterday.

SA finished the period with the fielding restrictions having scored at just four runs an over, losing openers Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks in the process.

That start put pressure on the SA middle order and while Dave Miller (13) and Rassie van der Dussen (41) produced some good shots, they were unable to sustain the required rate for long enough.

Once Van der Dussen was out in the 12th over, the game really was up for the hosts. Chris Morris produced some lusty hitting to finish on 55 not out indicating he might be worth a place in the 15-man World Cup squad. SA’s bowling was a mixed bag, with Beuran Hendricks the stand out mixing up pace and length to upset the Pakistani batsmen’s rhythm. The others struggled for consistency, although in the case of Tabraiz Shamsi it was the result of the Pakistanis getting after him.

Hendricks bowled through all the pressure periods in the innings, the powerplay and then the “death”, finishing with 4/14, the best figures for a South African against Pakistan in the shortest format. There was to be no batting bonanza from Babar Azam in what was his final innings of the tour.

He spanked five fours in a quick-fire 23, but it’s a sign of how important he has been for Pakistan, that their innings went in fits and starts after his dismissal. The top score was Muhammad Rizwan’s 26, with Asif Ali’s 25 the next best for the tourists. There was a first international wicket for Lutho Sipamla, while Morris and Imad got into a verbal stoush with the South African not happy about being hit for back-to-back boundaries.

The umpires lengthened the innings taking six minutes before eventually deciding that Shoaib Malik was run out and Pakistan seemed to be falling apart through the latter stages of their innings, losing six wickets for 57 in eight overs.

In the last over yesterday Andile Phehlukwayo went for 21, with Shadab Khan hitting three sixes in the 20th over.