Pakistan regain respect with 25-run win

LAHORE – Pakistan regained some respect as they claimed a convincing 25-run win over South Africa in the second one-day international in Lahore on Saturday.

Chasing 266 for victory, a daunting target on a pitch being used for its fourth innings, South Africa lost Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis for ducks and Pakistan never let them off the hook despite some terrible fielding. Graeme Smith led the South African batting effort with 65, but the captain is in scratchy form and he battled away for 96 balls for his runs.Smith had an early reprieve when he played on to the second ball of the innings, but Umar Gul had bowled a big no-ball, but South Africa were numbed just a ball later when Gibbs, rooted in the crease, was struck in front.Sohail Tanveer, the left-arm bowler with the unorthodox, wrong-footed, arm-over-the-head action, then removed Kallis as the batsman tried to shoulder arms but offered a sharp catch to Younis Khan at second slip.A stand of 76 in 15 overs gave some hope before AB de Villiers played a loose drive all around a delivery from Iftikhar Anjum and was bowled for 35 off 51 balls, much to his obvious disappointment as he looked in the same match-winning form as in the first ODI.Justin Kemp hardly played a shot in anger before an Anjum off-cutter trapped him leg-before for eight and Mark Boucher scored 14 before he slapped a return catch to Shahid Afridi.Pakistan got the balance of its attack right on Saturday.Gul and Tanveer provided the firepower with the new ball to shift the top-order and it was Anjum, Afridi and Rehman who numbed the scoring rate in the middle overs.It was Anjum who took away the treasures for the best bowler with his fine figures of three for 43.Earlier, Mohammad Yousuf’s fantastic century took Pakistan to 265 for nine.Yousuf’s class was there for all to see as he eased to 117 off 143 balls and he received valuable support from Shoaib Malik (56) and Younis Khan (32).South Africa did well however to restricted Pakistan at key stages.It was Shaun Pollock who locked things up at the start, conceding just 13 runs in his superb seven-over opening spell and removing Kamran Akmal in the first over.Kamran can feel unfortunate, however, as he was scuppered by a delivery that crept low, pitching back-of-a-length and taking the bottom of the bat before bowling him for a three-ball duck.Yousuf prodded an Albie Morkel delivery to short midwicket and there was confusion over a quick single, Justin Kemp running in quickly from mid-on to run out Younis for 32 off 48 balls.Captain Shoaib responded with anger and slammed off-spinner Johan Botha for three sixes and Kallis for one as he raced to a 40-ball half-century.Pakistan were in a strong position on 180 for three in the 38th over but, to their credit, the South African bowlers finished strongly.Morkel and Langeveldt each took another wicket as the tail was sent scurrying.Pollock was the pick of the bowlers with one for 29 in his ten overs, but Morkel impressed with two for 43 and Ntini’s tidy effort brought him two for 44.Langeveldt got better towards the end and finished with two for 47.Teams Pakistan – Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman, Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer.South Africa – Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt.Graeme Smith led the South African batting effort with 65, but the captain is in scratchy form and he battled away for 96 balls for his runs.Smith had an early reprieve when he played on to the second ball of the innings, but Umar Gul had bowled a big no-ball, but South Africa were numbed just a ball later when Gibbs, rooted in the crease, was struck in front.Sohail Tanveer, the left-arm bowler with the unorthodox, wrong-footed, arm-over-the-head action, then removed Kallis as the batsman tried to shoulder arms but offered a sharp catch to Younis Khan at second slip.A stand of 76 in 15 overs gave some hope before AB de Villiers played a loose drive all around a delivery from Iftikhar Anjum and was bowled for 35 off 51 balls, much to his obvious disappointment as he looked in the same match-winning form as in the first ODI.Justin Kemp hardly played a shot in anger before an Anjum off-cutter trapped him leg-before for eight and Mark Boucher scored 14 before he slapped a return catch to Shahid Afridi.Pakistan got the balance of its attack right on Saturday.Gul and Tanveer provided the firepower with the new ball to shift the top-order and it was Anjum, Afridi and Rehman who numbed the scoring rate in the middle overs.It was Anjum who took away the treasures for the best bowler with his fine figures of three for 43.Earlier, Mohammad Yousuf’s fantastic century took Pakistan to 265 for nine.Yousuf’s class was there for all to see as he eased to 117 off 143 balls and he received valuable support from Shoaib Malik (56) and Younis Khan (32).South Africa did well however to restricted Pakistan at key stages.It was Shaun Pollock who locked things up at the start, conceding just 13 runs in his superb seven-over opening spell and removing Kamran Akmal in the first over.Kamran can feel unfortunate, however, as he was scuppered by a delivery that crept low, pitching back-of-a-length and taking the bottom of the bat before bowling him for a three-ball duck.Yousuf prodded an Albie Morkel delivery to short midwicket and there was confusion over a quick single, Justin Kemp running in quickly from mid-on to run out Younis for 32 off 48 balls.Captain Shoaib responded with anger and slammed off-spinner Johan Botha for three sixes and Kallis for one as he raced to a 40-ball half-century.Pakistan were in a strong position on 180 for three in the 38th over but, to their credit, the South African bowlers finished strongly.Morkel and Langeveldt each took another wicket as the tail was sent scurrying.Pollock was the pick of the bowlers with one for 29 in his ten overs, but Morkel impressed with two for 43 and Ntini’s tidy effort brought him two for 44.Langeveldt got better towards the end and finished with two for 47.Teams Pakistan – Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman, Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer.South Africa – Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt.