South Africa have to get another 130 to get on the final day with eight wickets standing to take the lead in the three-match series.
CENTURION: South Africa were on course for victory despite aggressive resistance from Pakistan’s tail-end batsmen and the late loss of their captain Graeme Smith on the fourth day of the first Test at Centurion Park on Sunday.
Needing 199 to win, South Africa were 69 for two at the close. Part-time off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez struck a blow in the last over of the day when he trapped Smith leg-before-wicket for 32. It left the hosts with another 130 to get on the final day with eight wickets standing to take the lead in the three-match series.
Left-arm spinner Paul Harris took four for 46 as Pakistan were bowled out for 302 in their second innings, with the last three wickets adding 103 runs. Harris and seamer Shaun Pollock bowled with tight control as Pakistan were reduced to 199 for seven — a slender lead of 95. Smith opted for the new ball to blast out the tail but the decision heralded a period of batting mayhem in which fast bowlers Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini were thrashed to all parts of the ground.
Ignoring the niceties of technique and resorting to old-fashioned slogging, Shahid Nazir slammed a career-best 40 off 35 balls as he and Rana Naved ul-Hasan put on 56 for the eighth wicket before Nazir swung once too often and was bowled by Ntini. Naved and Danish Kaneria carried on meting out punishment to the bowlers, scoring 33 and 23 respectively.
Scoreboard
Pakistan (1st innings) 313
South Africa (1st innings) 417
Pakistan (2nd innings, overnight 103-2)
Mohd Hafeez c Smith b Kallis 15, Imran Farhat c de Villiers b Harris 68, Yasir Hameed c Boucher b Kallis 9, Younis Khan lbw Pollock 38, Inzamam-ul-Haq c de Villiers b Pollock 35, Faisal Iqbal c Gibbs b Harris 9, Kamran Akmal c Gibbs b Harris 15, Naved ul-Hasan c Prince b Pollock 33, Shahid Nazir b Ntini 40, Danish Kaneria c Gibbs b Harris 23, Mohd Asif (not out) 8;
Extras (lb-5, nb-4) 9
Total (all out, 96.2 overs) 302
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-58, 3-115, 4-154, 5-175, 6-187, 7-199, 8-255, 9-283
Bowling: Nel 22-6-69-0, Ntini 16-2-78-1, Pollock 22-7-60-3, Kallis 16-0-44-2, Harris 20.2-6-46-4
South Africa (2nd innings)
Graeme Smith lbw Hafeez 32, AB de Villiers c Younis b Asif 12, Hashim Amla (batting) 17, Paul Harris (batting) 1; Extras (lb-1, nb-6) 7
Total (for 2 wkts, 18 overs) 69
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-67
Bowling: Mohammad Asif 7-0-32-1, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 2-0-9-0, Shahid Nazir 2-1-5-0, Danish Kaneria 5-1-14-0, Mohammad Hafeez 2-0-8-1
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