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Ripping Reeza trumps Ayub with century as Proteas clinch series

football13 December 2024 20:29| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Reeza Hendricks struck his first T20I century as South Africa scored a record 210-3 to beat Pakistan by seven wickets with three balls to spare in the second T20I match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday night.

Centurion was truly a bowlers’ graveyard with Pakistan cracking nine sixes and 19 fours while South Africa trumped that with 16 sixes and 12 fours as 416 runs were flayed to the boundary before an ecstatic full house at SuperSport Park.

South Africa’s second victory in four days meant that they wrapped up the series with Saturday’s final clash at the Wanderers now of academic value, barring the entertainment sure to be on offer.

The match was bejewelled by two great innings. For Pakistan, 22-year-old left-hander Saim Ayub hit a magnificent unbeaten 98 in 57 balls with 11 fours and five sixes.

The only reason he didn’t reach a richly deserved century was that he simply couldn’t get on strike in the last over.

But if such an innings could be trumped, it was surely Hendricks’s innings that did so.

The South African opener played the innings of his life, hitting a remarkable 117 in 63 balls, including seven fours and 10 sixes.

His timing was impeccable, and the variety of his strokes, many to the on-side, was remarkable.

The partnership that won the match for the hosts was a national record for the third wicket with Rassie van der Dussen who struck a brutal unbeaten 66 in 38 balls (3x4s, 5x6s). The pair clobbered 157 in 83 balls, effectively achieving a comfortable victory even though Hendricks perished in the deep in the 18th over Heinrich Klaasen replaced him to help Van der Dussen over the line in the final over.

It was not a night to remember for the Pakistan bowlers with the tourists too predictable in their tactic of bowling slower balls.

Hendricks and Van der Dussen had their measure from the start and plundered runs accordingly.

The best Pakistan bowler was legspinner Abrar Ahmed who conceded only 29 runs in his four overs.

The South African batters, not sure they could read him, opted to treat him with respect, milking him for singles rather than attacking him

AYUB JUST MISSES OUT ON TON

Earlier, Saim Ayub’s 98 took Pakistan to a challenging 206 for five wickets in their innings after they had won the toss and chosen to bat first.

The 22-year-old looked good in Durban, striking seven fours in his 31 in 15 balls, and he more than confirmed that impression in Centurion.

The left-hander marries grace with power and his innings was as much as thing of beauty as it was an exhibition of power-hitting.

On the fast-scoring SuperSport Park ground he was in his element, striking 11 fours and five sixes in his innings.

It was such a pity that he didn’t reach his first T20I hundred, but he couldn’t get the strike in the last over and he was left, magnificently marooned, at the non-striker’s end as Pakistan went past 200.

Saim featured in two important partnerships, 87 off 45 balls for the second wicket with Babar Azam (31 off 20 balls) and an even quicker one of 73 in 32 balls for the fifth wicket with Irfan Khan (30 off 16 balls.

If he had received more help from the middle-order, the Pakistan total could have been even bigger.

Saim’s innings featured classical drives, wristy clips off his toes, lovely square-cuts and full-blooded belts to midwicket and cow corner.

He was fortunate to have been dropped twice by Dayyaan Galiem, on three at point and on 97 at long-on but otherwise his shot selection was well nigh perfect.
Babar showed something of his old form in his partnership with Saim, while Irfan Khan played some powerful strokes to the on-side in his innings.
For South Africa, debutant Galiem bowled well to pick up 2-21 in his four overs while left-arm spinner George Linde, the hero in Durban, again had a good outing, conceding 28 in his four overs and claiming the big wicket of Babar, caught a long-on.
South Africa’s outfielding was generally good with Van der Dussen picking up a fine diving catch on the midwicket boundary to dismiss Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan.
SOUTH AFRICA: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (capt, wk), Donovan Ferreeia, George Linde, Dayyaan Galiem, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Ottniel Baartman
PAKISTAN: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

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