Pakistan Eventually Finish Off South Africa

Saeed Ajmal (centre) took four wickets and Misbah-ul-Haq (right) hit the winning runs as Pakistan toppled South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Pakistan 442 (Khurram Manzoor 146) & 45-3 beat
South Africa 249 & 232 by seven wickets
First Test, Abu Dhabi
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two | Day Three

Pakistan survived a late wobble when they lost three wickets for seven runs to see off South Africa and take a seven-wicket win in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

Despite AB de Villiers' 90 and Robin Peterson's 47, South Africa were bowled out for 232 in their second innings, leaving Pakistan a target of 40.

South Africa, faced with a first Test defeat since January 2011, made sure Pakistan had to work for every run and had them in trouble at seven for three.

However, Younus Khan (9 not out) and Misbah-ul-Haq (28 not out) saw them home with Misbah showing no desire to hang around, clinching the game with two sixes in a 26-ball cameo.

For South Africa to get anything out of this game they would have needed de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Peterson and perhaps others to dig in and bat all day at least. However, against Pakistan's consistently effective bowling attack, such resistance didn't come close to materialising.

Having helped de Villiers take South Africa past the 100-mark, nightwatchman Dale Steyn hit out needlessly and was bowled by Zulfiqar Babar for seven.

Pakistan sensed victory when Duminy was trapped in front by Junaid Khan for nought and du Plessis, who hung around for 55 balls, was caught and bowled by Saeed Ajmal for nine.

Then came a combination of resistance and counter-attack from de Villiers (90 in 157 balls) and Peterson (47 not out in 67 balls).

The pair batted together for just under 15 overs to get South Africa within three runs of forcing Pakistan to bat again, at which point de Vliiers was caught by Shan Masood off Junaid. The partnership of 57 was the biggest of the innings.

Vernon Philander (10) hung around as Peterson threw the bat to try to set Pakistan some sort of target but Morne Morkel (0) was unable to help, both men falling to Ajmal, who finished with four for 74.

Junaid returned three for 57, Babar two for 51 and Mohammad Irfan one for 42.

After the tea break, Pakistan set about chasing down 40 runs for victory but made a dreadful start. Philander struck with the new ball to have openers Khurram Manzoor (4) and Masood (0) caught behind and when Azhar Ali was caught by Jacques Kallis off Steyn for three, Pakistan had lost three wickets in 21 balls.

What would South Africa have given at that point to have been able to add just another 50 runs to either of their innings?

Nevertheless, with Younus calmness personified at one end and Misbah on a mission to finish things off in a hurry at the other, it might not have made any difference.

The former faced 36 balls and the latter 26, the winning runs coming when captain Misba hit Peterson over long on for a six to confirm Pakistan's third ever win over South Africa and first since 2007.

In their last match, they lost to Zimbabwe but have now managed to comprehensively beat the world-leading team. Quite a month for Pakistan cricket.

The series continues with the second and final Test in Dubai which begins on 23rd October.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

South Africa Struggle After Misbah Century

Misbah-ul-Haq added 100 in 187 balls as Pakistan remained in control in Abu Dhabi

South Africa 249 (Amla 118) & 72-4 v
Pakistan 442 (Khurram Manzoor 146)
First Test, Abu Dhabi, day three
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq added a century on day three of the first Test against South Africa in Abu Dhabi to help put his side in a dominant position.

Misbah scored 100 in 187 balls as Pakistan were bowled out for 442 and they built on their first-innings lead of 193 by reducing South Africa to 72 for four in their second innings.

There were also runs for Asad Shafiq (54) and Adnan Akmal (32) as Pakistan's batsmen backed up their bowlers' sterling work in bowling South Africa out for 249 in their first innings.

Put under pressure, South Africa's top order then struggled again as Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal and Zulfiqur Babar took a wicket apiece.

Pakista resumed on 263 for three and Khurram Manzoor soon set a new record for the highest score by a Pakistani in a Test match against South Africa before he was caught by Jacques Kallis off Vernon Philander for a magnificent 146 in 266 balls that included 15 fours.

He and Misbah had added 112 for the fourth wicket and Misbah, along with Shafiq, continued to forge Pakistan ahead.

Shafiq fell to Duminy and soon after Misbah had completed his fourth Test century, he was trapped in front by Dale Steyn to leave Pakistan 394 for three.

Akmal then took the opportunity to score as many runs as he could as Ajmal (13), Babar (2) and Junaid (3) offered little resistance.

Steyn (3-88) and Philander (3-84) were the pick of the bowlers while Duminy returned two for 68.

South Africa made a bright enough start to their second innings as Graeme Smith (32) and Alviro Petersen (17) added 38 before Petersen was caught by Akmal off Irfan.

Smith was the next to go when he was stumped off Ajmal and Jacques Kallis was given a birthday to forget when he was trapped in front by Junaid for a five-ball duck.

Hashim Amla hit 118 to prop up South Africa's first innings but the Proteas will need to rely on somebody else for the remainder of this game after he was caught behind off Babar in the final over of the day.

AB de Villiers was left unbeaten on 11 in 28 balls and nightwatchman Steyn did his job as nightwatchman by seeing off five balls without scoring.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here