DAY 1: Bosch, Paterson cut through Pakistan top order

Pakistan slumped to 88-4 after being asked to bat first on the opening morning of the first test against South Africa at Supersport Park in Centurion on Thursday.

The tourists limped to a cautious 36 without loss in the first hour, with openers Shan Masood and Saim Ayub playing and missing on at least a dozen occasions against seamers Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Dane Paterson while another four or five edges fell short of the slip cordon.

But everything changed in dramatic fashion with the first ball after the drinks break when fast bowler Corbin Bosch became the 25th bowler in test history to claim a wicket with his first ball when captain Masood (17) edged a half-hearted drive to Jansen in the gully.

Fellow opener Saim Ayub (14) edged a defensive push against Paterson to keeper Kyle Verreynne nine balls later and when Babar Azam (4) was caught by Aiden Markram at second slip in Paterson’s fourth over, Pakistan had lost 3-5 in 19 balls.

Worse was to come when Saud Shakeel, having lashed 14 from just five balls, gloved his sixth down the leg side to Verreynne, undone by the extra pace and bounce generated by impressive debutant Bosch who enjoyed figures of 5-1-24-2 at the lunch break.

Veteran Paterson (7-1-35-2) also enjoyed impressive figures at the break but both men would happily admit that they enjoyed some reward for the pressure exerted by the unlucky Rabada (7-2-13-0) in the opening hour.

Kamran Ghulam, who top-edged a Bosch bouncer over Verreynne’s head for six, will resume after the break on 23 in partnership with Mohammad Rizwan on 10. Thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon.

SOUTH AFRICA: Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson.

PAKISTAN: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Amir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas.