South Africa trounce Pakistan in cricket one-dayer
by Chris Burnes
CENTURION, South Africa (AFP) - South Africa went on a batting rampage to set up a comprehensive 164-run win over Pakistan in the first one-day international at Centurion Park.
South Africa hammered 392 for six after being sent in and then bowled out the tourists for 228.
To add to a miserable day for Pakistan, Shahid Afridi risked disciplinary action when he prodded his bat at a barracking spectator as he walked up the steps to the dressing room after being dismissed.
Pakistan's injury list grew when Shabbir Ahmed became the third fast bowler to be sent home from the tour after suffering a groin injury during a Twenty20 international in Johannesburg Friday.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq admitted Pakistan had not batted or bowled well. His decision to send South Africa in was based on a good record for teams chasing targets at Centurion.
"I was thinking we would have to score 280 or 290 in the second innings but South Africa played very well," he said Sunday.
South Africa's innings was built on two century partnerships at far better than a run a ball on an excellent batting pitch.
Captain Graeme Smith (72) and AB de Villiers (67) gave South Africa an explosive start, putting on 140 off 112 balls for the first wicket.
But that was made to seem relatively pedestrian as man-of-the-match Jacques Kallis (88 not out) and Mark Boucher (78) thrashed 128 off 66 balls for the fifth wicket, with Boucher making his runs off just 38 balls.
Smith, who was playing in his 100th one-day international, said South Africa's total showed what could be achieved if the team made a good start, which they failed to do earlier in the season.
"We achieved all our goals today," he said.
It was the seventh highest total in one-day internationals and the highest conceded by Pakistan, whose previous worst was 363 for seven by England at Nottingham in 1992.
The Pakistan bowlers took a pounding and made their situation worse by sending down 16 wides and nine no-balls.
Pakistan's batsmen went for their shots in search of an unlikely victory but four wickets fell in the first 12 overs.
Mohammad Yousuf made a stroke-filled 39 off 25 balls as he and Inzamam put on 49 for the fifth wicket. But both men were in the space of four balls with the total on 119.
Pakistan slid to 125 for eight and were in danger of suffering the biggest defeat by a margin of runs in one-day internationals before Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami reduced the deficit below the 256 runs by which Australia beat Namibia in Potchefstroom during the 2003 World Cup.
With the intensity out of the match, Malik and Sami put on 73 for the ninth wicket off a pedestrian 119 balls, with Malik making an unbeaten 52 and Sami a career-best 46.
Smith said he was not concerned that his team failed to knock over the tail quickly.
"It was a cracker of a pitch all day and the ball got pretty soft," he said. "The guys stuck to their guns and the intensity was good."
Smith and De Villiers gave South Africa a flying start before the introduction of spin in the 19th over brought two wickets and a slowing down of the scoring rate.
Smith charged down the pitch and was stumped by Kamran Akmal off the second ball from off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez after bludgeoning 72 off 47 balls.
The South African captain hit 15 boundaries, including six in succession off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who conceded 27 runs in a nightmare over which included two wides and a no-ball.
Smith's innings followed his unbeaten 70 off 40 balls in Twenty20 international at the Wanderers in Johannesburg Friday.
Boucher thrashed nine fours and four sixes.
Mohammad Asif, the most impressive Pakistan bowler in an opening spell in which he conceded 33 runs off eight overs, gave up 28 runs in his only other over, including two sixes and two fours by Boucher, a four by Kallis and two no-balls. It was the joint third most runs in an over in one-day internationals.
Hafeez and Razzaq both conceded 22 runs in a single over as the batsmen cut loose.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa:
A de Villiers c Naved-ul-Hasan b Afridi 67
G Smith st Akmal b Hafeez 72
L Bosman c Akmal b Hafeez 4
J Kallis not out 88
A Prince c Razzaq b Afridi 39
M Boucher c Inzamam b Naved-ul-Hasan 78
J Kemp c Akmal b Naved-ul-Hasan 11
S Pollock not out 2
Extras b1, lb5, nb9, w16 31
Total for 6 wkts 392
Fall of wkts 1-140, 2-144, 3-167, 4-235, 5-363, 6-380
Bowling Mohammad Asif 9-1-61-0 (3nb, 1w)
Naved-ul-Hasan 8-0-92-2 (4nb, 5w)
Mohammad Sami 7-0-68-0 (1nb, 6w)
Mohammad Hafeez 9-0-69-2
Shahid Afridi 10-0-42-2 (1nb, 3w)
Shoaib Malik 6-0-32-0
Abdul Razzaq 1-0-22-0 (1w)
Pakistan
Mohammad Hafeez c Smith b Ntini 21
Kamran Akmal c Prince b Pollock 13
Younis Khan c and b Ntini 13
Shahid Afridi c Nel b Ntini 17
Mohammad Yousuf c Smith b Nel 39
Inzamam-ul-Haq c sub (Hall) b Kallis 15
Shoaib Malik not out 52
Abdul Razzaq c Peterson b Kallis 6
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan c Boucher b Kallis 0
Mohammad Sami c Boucher b Peterson 46
Mohammad Asif c Prince b Smith 2
Extras (w4) 4
Total (46.4 overs) 228
Falls: 1-27, 2-37, 3-56, 4-70, 5-119, 6-119, 7-125, 8-125, 9-198
Bowling: Pollock 10-0-46-1 (1w)
Ntini 10-0-51-3
Nel 7-1-26-1 (1w)
Kallis 5-0-34-3 (2w)
Peterson 9-1-49-1
Kemp 2-0-13-0
Prince 2-0-3-0
Smith 1.4-0-6-1
Result: South Africa won by 164 runs
Umpires: P Parker (AUS), R Koertzen (RSA)
TV umpire: K Hurter (RSA)
Match referee: C Broad (Eng)
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