Pakistan beat South Africa, stay alive

Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed smashed scintillating half-centuries before Pakistan’s bowlers completed a comprehensive and well-deserved, DLS-assisted victory by 33 runs against South Africa in their T20 World Cup match at the SCG on Thursday.

Pakistan recovered from an early collapse to 43 for four against South Africa’s pace bowlers to post an impressive total of 185 for nine after choosing to bat first with Shadab blasting 52 from just 22 balls (3x4, 4x6), the second fastest T20I 50 for his country, while Iftikar was barely less aggressive with 51 from 35 balls with three fours and two sixes.

South Africa slipped to 69 for four from nine overs in reply before rain reduced to the innings to 14 overs which left them with an unlikely target of 142 – effectively another 73 runs from the final five overs.

Heinrich Klaasen (15) and Tristan Stubbs (18) clubbed a couple of boundaries before miscuing against Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-0-14-3) and Naseem Shah (3-0-19-1) respectively and the innings closed tamely on 108 for nine.

Quinton de Kock perished in the first over of the run-chase, toe-ending a legside flick against Shah Afridi to midwicket and Rilee Rossouw (7) uppercut a bouncer from the same bowler to third man in Afridi’s second over, giving him figures at the time of 2-0-2-2.

But captain Temba Bavuma’s belated return to form saw him add 49 with Aiden Markram to put South Africa ahead of the DLS target as the rain continued to fall. Both, however, fell within the space of three deliveries from legspinner Shadab Khan to turn the match on its head and give Pakistan the advantage.

Bavuma attempted to guide a delivery behind square on the off side but edged it to ‘keeper Mohammad Rizwan to depart for an enterprising 36 from only 19 balls with four fours and a six flicked over fine leg against fast bowler Haris Rauf. Markram (20) was beaten by a quicker delivery which skidded past the inside edge to bowl him. He faced 14 balls and struck four fours.

Pakistan’s innings was a helter-skelter affair, full of boundaries, wickets and entertainment after a poor start. Prolific opener Mohammad Rizwan (4) was bowled off an inside edge in the first over by Wayne Parnell but Mohammad Haris launched an astonishing counter-attack against Kagiso Rabada after being hit on the helmet off the first delivery.

Haris struck back-to-back sixes and a four to take 16 off the second over and reached 28 from just 11 balls with two fours and three sixes before being trapped lbw by Anrich Nortje.

Captain Babar Azam’s horrible tournament continued, however, with a miserable struggle to six off 15 balls before lofting a Lungi Ngidi slower ball to Rabada at mid on and Shan Masood (2) did likewise to a Nortje slower ball with Bavuma holding a simple catch.

Left hander Mohammad Nawaz began the fightback with four fours and a straight six before being given out lbw sweeping Tabraiz Shamsi despite replays showing he bottom-edged the ball. He chose not to review the decision.

South Africa’s bowling wheels fell off dramatically in the final five overs when persistent drizzle made the ball difficult to grip. Nortje, whose first two overs cost just 10 runs, conceded 31 from his final two with no-balls and free-hits being carved over all parts of the boundary.

South Africa dropped four catches in the outfield but Stubbs and Rossouw managed to hold on to a couple of good ones to give Nortje figures of 4-41 with Rabada also conceding over 10 runs per over with 1-44. Ngidi finished with 1-32 while Shamsi, selected ahead of Keshav Maharaj as the sole spinner, returned figures of 1-36, leaving Parnell as the most economical bowler with 1-31 after bowling two overs in the Power Play and two at the end of the innings.

It was a must-win game for Pakistan who would have been eliminated from semifinal contention if they had lost whereas South Africa are still likely to qualify for the semifinals provided their final match against the Netherlands is not rained off and they win it convincingly.

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

PAKISTAN: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah