DAY 2: Bosch gives South Africa 90-run lead against Pakistan
Aiden Markram fell agonisingly short of a century but Corbin Bosch scored a scintillating, unbeaten 81 to steer South Africa to a total of 301 all out at tea on the second day of the first test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
The hosts earned a precious lead of 90 runs having dismissed Pakistan for 211 on the first day with Dane Paterson (5-61) and debutant Bosch (4-63) sharing nine wickets.
South Africa resumed after the lunch break on 180-5 still trailing by 31 runs and quickly lost Kyle Verreynne (2) and Marco Jansen (2) to Naseem Shah (3-92) who had both men caught in the cordon.
Markram’s excellent, disciplined innings of 89 from 144 balls finally came to an end in the 10th over after lunch when he gloved a bouncer from seamer Khurram Shahzad into the gloves of ‘keeper Mohammad Rizwan. His innings contained 15 sumptuous boundaries, mostly cut and driven through the off side.
But when Markram was dismissed South Africa were 213-8 with an insignificant lead of just two runs and seemingly in trouble on a pitch producing increasingly uneven and unpredictable bounce. Bosch, however, continued his dream debut with an exhilarating counterattack.
The powerful allrounder played some glorious cover drives and clips off his pads in an innings of 81* from just 93 balls with 15 boundaries, first in the company of Kagiso Rabada (13) with whom he added 41 and then last man Dane Paterson who smashed a four and a six in his 12 during a 10th wicket stand of 47.
It's a magnificent 81 for Corbin Bosch ⭐
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 27, 2024
The @ProteasMenCSA take a 90-run lead into the final session on Day Two 🇿🇦🆚🇵🇰
📺 Stream #SAvPAK on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/TczgdFbOGB
In the morning session Markram added another 52 runs with captain Temba Bavuma to extend their fourth wicket partnership to 70 before Bavuma’s patient innings of 31 from 74 balls ended with an outside edge against medium pacer Amir Jamal to ‘keeper Rizwan.
David Bedingham (30 from 33 balls) looked in fine form with five sweetly timed boundaries before an out-of-sorts Nassem Shah finally found the right length and an outside edge to Kamran Ghulam at first slip five minutes before the lunch interval.
On a pitch continuing to provide seam movement for the fast bowlers and with continuing signs of uneven bounce South Africa’s lead will most likely prove to be a match-winning one. On 11 previous occasions that the home side have enjoyed a lead of 50+ runs at Supersport Park, they have won every
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.
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