Faisalabad (Web Desk): South Africa set a target of 264 runs for Pakistan in the opening one-day international (ODI) of the three-match series at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s bowling unit, led by Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah, delivered an impressive performance to bowl out South Africa for 263 runs.
The visitors had earlier appeared in control, courtesy of half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and youngster Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
South Africa started their innings brightly, as De Kock and Pretorius forged a fluent 98-run opening partnership that initially kept Pakistan’s bowlers searching for a breakthrough.
The 19-year-old Pretorius displayed remarkable confidence at the crease, crafting a well-compiled 57 from 60 deliveries, laced with seven fours and a six, before Saim Ayub finally broke the stand.
Once Pretorius departed, De Kock was joined by Tony de Zorzi, and the pair managed to add another 43 runs before Pakistan struck twice in quick succession.
De Kock, who had been batting confidently on 63, was bowled by Naseem Shah, while de Zorzi contributed 18 before Saim removed him with a sharp return catch, reducing South Africa to 147 for three in the 27th over.
Skipper Matthew Breetzke and Sinethemba Qeshile steadied the innings with a 44-run stand, but Pakistan continued to chip away. Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Qeshile for 22, and Abrar Ahmed later sent back Donovan Ferreira for just 3 as South Africa slipped to 202 for five.
A stroke of luck briefly favored the visitors when Naseem Shah overstepped after bowling Breetzke, denying Pakistan a wicket. However, Naseem quickly recovered, removing George Linde for 2 in the same over to make it 209 for six.
With the innings losing momentum, Abrar struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Breetzke for 42 and trapping Bjorn Fortuin for a duck. He came agonizingly close to completing a hat-trick, but Lungi Ngidi survived after a review overturned an LBW decision.
Corbin Bosch provided some late resistance, scoring a vital 41 runs alongside the tail to push South Africa beyond the 260 mark before Shaheen Afridi bowled him in the penultimate over.
For Pakistan, Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah were the standout performers with three wickets apiece, while Saim Ayub contributed with two as the hosts wrapped up a disciplined bowling display to restrict South Africa to a modest total.
Teams
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (c), Sinethemba Qeshile, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, and Lizaad Williams.