Second ODI: Pakistan thrash South Africa by 81 runs

Pakistani bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, delivered a dominant performance, restricting South Africa to 248 runs in 43.1 overs, while trying to chase a challenging target during the second ODI at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, on Thursday.

The victory gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, with the final ODI scheduled to be played in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Chasing a difficult 330-run target, the Proteas struggled and fell for 248 runs despite Heinrich Klaasen’s 97-run knock.

The wicketkeeper batter waged a lone battle for the home side with a powerful 97 off 74 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and four sixes.

Besides him, opening batter Tony de Zorzi was the other notable run-getter who added 34 runs to the total.

Shaheen was the standout bowler for the green shirts, returning match figures of 4/47, followed by Naseem Shah, who took 3/37 in his 8.3 overs. Abrar Ahmed played a supportive role, claiming two scalps.

Earlier in their innings, Pakistan posted a 330-run target against South Africa after Kamran Ghulam’s blistering knock of 63 off 32 balls.

Put into bat first, the green shirts got off to a dismal start to their innings as their opener Abdullah Shafique perished for a two-ball duck in the first over with just five runs on the board.

Following the early hiccup, star batter Babar Azam joined last-match centurion Saim Ayub (25) for a crucial 48-run partnership, which lasted with the opener’s dismissal in the 10th over.

Babar was then joined by skipper Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and together they raised a match-defining 115-run partnership for the third wicket, which saw both the batters amassing their half-centuries.

All-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo eventually broke the threat in the 33rd over by getting Babar caught at midwicket.

The star batter scored 73 off 95 deliveries with the help of seven fours.

Meanwhile, Rizwan was then involved in a brief 24-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha before falling victim to Kwena Maphaka in the 36th over.

The wicketkeeper batter remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with an 82-ball 80, laced with 10 boundaries including three sixes.

Coming out to bat at number six, Kamran took the reins of Pakistan’s batting expedition with a blistering knock.

The right-handed batter struck four fours and five sixes on his way to a 32-ball 63.

He was also involved in crucial partnerships with Salman Ali Agha (33), Muhammad Irfan Khan (15) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (16) before getting dismissed on the first delivery of the final over.

For South Africa, Maphaka led the way with four wickets, followed by Marco Jansen with three, while Bjorn Fortuin and Phehlukwayo, chipped in with a scalp apiece.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka, Tabraiz Shamsi