SA thrash toothless Pakistan to clinch series

By AFP

January 07, 2019

CAPE TOWN: South Africa overpowered Pakistan by nine wickets on the fourth day of the second Test at Newlands on Sunday.

Pakistan claimed a wicket and forced Hashim Amla to retire hurt before South Africa passed their meagre target after less than an hour’s play at Newlands.Set 41 to win, South Africa reached 43 for the loss of one wicket from 9.5 overs.

The result ensured a seventh successive home series win for South Africa, who won the first Test in Centurion by six wickets. The third and final Test starts in Johannesburg on Friday.Regular South African opening batsman Aiden Markram did not bat after suffering a severely bruised right thigh when he fell heavily on the boundary rope while fielding on Saturday.

Theunis de Bruyn, opening in place of Markram, clipped Mohammad Abbas to the midwicket boundary but did not add to his score before being caught off his glove by wicketkeeper and captain Sarfraz Ahmed while attempting to pull a bouncer from Abbas.

Mohammad Amir effectively conceded 10 runs in extras off two successive deliveries, with a wide and a no-ball which both flew over Sarfraz’s head.Hashim Amla was forced to retire hurt on two after being hit on the right upper arm by a ball from Amir which lifted sharply off a good length.

Dean Elgar, who made 24 not out, ended the match by hitting two fours off part-time bowler Azhar Ali.Sarfraz said the loss of five wickets on the first morning after his side were sent in had put Pakistan in a position from which it was difficult to recover.

A first innings total of 177 was not enough to put pressure on the South African batsmen, a situation made worse by what Sarfraz described as a poor bowling performance.“Our bowling was not up to the mark,” said Sarfraz. “Our bowling average speed was 130 (kilometres an hour), South Africa were bowling at 145. Our bowling was far better (in the first Test) in Centurion.”

Apart from being down on pace, Sarfraz said the Pakistan bowlers delivered too many loose balls to provide scoring opportunities for the South African batsmen.Sarfraz acknowledged that a single warm-up game had not been enough to prepare Pakistan for South African conditions but he took heart from the second innings in which Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam scored impressive half-centuries.

“That is how you play Test cricket,” he said. “We are getting better day by day. Hopefully we will do well in Johannesburg. We have nothing to lose.”Meanwhile, Faf du Plessis termed Test matches as cricket’s most exciting format.

The South African captain disagreed with Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur’s criticism of the pitches for the first two Tests, both won by South Africa in less than four days.Du Plessis said lively surfaces and an attacking mindset, encouraged by Twenty20 cricket, had helped make Test cricket exciting.

“There are not a lot of Test matches that are going five days around the world any more,” he said.“The speed of play has gone up tremendously. Test cricket has evolved and it is great for the fans. They are getting fours, sixes, lots of wickets and pace bowlers bowling. Test cricket for me the last few years has been the most exciting format of all.”

Du Plessis said the pitch at Newlands had been challenging on the first two days but there were rewards for batsmen. “If Pakistan batted well yesterday (Saturday), today and tomorrow would have been good batting wickets. It flattened out and the ball got soft. It was tough on day two but we scored close to 400 runs,” he said.

The South African captain felt Pakistan had missed a chance to put pressure on the hosts by failing to capitalise on a sparkling third wicket stand between Shan and Asad on Saturday.“They had an opportunity to get 150 (ahead) on the board but we did really well after tea, making sure we did not let the opposition get back in the game,” he said.

South Africa won toss

Pakistan 1st Innings 177 all out (Sarfraz 56; Olivier 4-48)

South Africa 1st Innings 431 all out (F du Plessis 103; Amir 4-88)

Pakistan 2nd Innings 294 all out (Asad 88; Rabada 4-61)

South Africa 2nd Innings

D Elgar not out 24

T de Bruyn c Sarfraz b Abbas 4

H Amla retired hurt 2

*F du Plessis not out 3

Extras (b4, nb1, w5) 10

Total (1 wicket, 9.5 overs) 43

Fall: 1-4