CENTURION: Opener Fakhar Zaman smashed his second century in as many matches as Pakistan beat a revamped South Africa side by 28 runs in the third and final One-day International at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday to clinch the series 2-1.

Fakhar followed up his scintillating 193 on Sunday with 101 as Pakistan posted 320 for seven in their 50 overs having been sent into bat.

South Africa, missing five key players on their way to the Indian Premier League in Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, were bowled out for 292 in the final over.

South Africa needed a three-figure score from one of their batsmen to get close to the target, but the Pakistan bowlers varied the pace on a slow wicket and retained control of the match.

Janneman Malan (70 from 81 balls), Kyle Verreynne (62 from 53) and Andile Phehlukwayo (54 from 61) all registered half-centuries, but none could push on as left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (3-34) was the pick of the visiting attack. Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi also claimed three wickets, while leg-spinner Usman Qadir marked his ODI debut with the wicket of Jon Smuts.

Promising batsman Verreynne and all-rounder Phehlukwayo put on 108 off 100 balls for the sixth wicket but both were dismissed in the space of seven balls.

It was just the second time that Pakistan won a one-day series in South Africa after their current head coach Misbah-ul-Haq led them to a 2-1 triumph in 2013.

Pakistan — who are also the only second side after Australia to win two bilateral ODI series in South Africa — earned 20 points in the World Cup Super League from this series and move to the top of the table, level with England and Australia.

Fakhar and fellow left-hander Imam-ul-Haq (57) laid a solid foundation with an opening partnership of 112 after Pakistan were sent in on a cloudy day. Fakhar again scored rapidly, although he fell short of repeating the carnage he inflicted on the South African bowlers in the second match in Johannesburg, falling after striking nine boundaries and three sixes during his 104-ball knock.

It took a late assault by Babar and tailender Hasan Ali to take Pakistan’s total beyond Babar’s pre-match target of 300. The pair added 63 off the last four overs before Babar was caught on the deep point boundary to fall six runs short of his second century of the series.

Babar faced 82 balls, while Hasan thrashed an unbeaten 32 off 11 balls, hitting four sixes off left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts in the 49th over.

Fakhar’s 99-ball century was eight balls slower than his effort in a losing cause in Johannesburg, where he unleashed a furious assault, needing only another 48 balls to take his score to 193. But he added only one more run on Wednesday before an attempted lap shot against left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj looped off his arm and provided a simple catch to wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen.

Maharaj, one of seven changes in the South African team, took three wickets for 45 runs in his 10 overs.

With three frontline fast bowlers missing, South African captain Temba Bavuma juggled an inexperienced seven-man bowling attack, making frequent changes and using spin bowlers for 28 of the 50 overs.

Six of the wickets fell to spin.

The teams now play a four-match Twenty20 International series starting in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Imam-ul-Haq c Verreynne b Maharaj 57

Fakhar Zaman c Klaasen b Maharaj 101

Babar Azam c Verreynne b Phehlukwayo 94

Mohammad Rizwan st Klaasen b Maharaj 2

Sarfaraz Ahmed c and b Smuts 13

Faheem Ashraf c and b Markram 1

Mohammad Nawaz c Bavuma b Markram 4

Hasan Ali not out 32

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-3, W-9, NB-2) 16

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 320

FALL OF WKTS: 1-112 (Imam), 2-206 (Fakhar), 3-214 (Rizwan), 4-246 (Sarfaraz), 5-249 (Faheem), 6-257 (Nawaz), 7-320 (Babar).

DID NOT BAT: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf.

BOWLING: Markram 10-0-48-2; Hendricks 7-0-38-0 (1nb, 5w); Sipamla 6-0-50-0 (1nb, 1w); Dupavillon 5-0-30-0; Phehlukwayo 4-0-37-1 (1w); Maharaj 10-1-45-3 (2w); Smuts 8-0-67-1.

SOUTH AFRICA:

J.N. Malan lbw b Nawaz 70

A.K. Markram c Sarfaraz b Shaheen 18

J.J. Smuts b Usman 17

T. Bavuma b Nawaz 20

K. Verreynne c Usman b Haris 62

H. Klaasen lbw b Nawaz 4

A.L. Phehlukwayo c Sarfaraz b Hasan 54

K.A. Maharaj b Shaheen 19

B.E. Hendricks c Sarfaraz b Haris 1

L. Sipamla not out 4

D.M. Dupavillon b Shaheen 17

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2, NB-3) 6

TOTAL (all out, 49.3 overs) 292

FALL OF WKTS: 1-54 (Markram), 2-77 (Smuts), 3-127 (Malan), 4-128 (Bavuma), 5-140 (Klaasen), 6-248 (Verreynne), 7-251 (Phehlukwayo), 8-257 (Hendricks), 9-272 (Maharaj), 10-292 (Dupavillon).

BOWLING: Shaheen Shah Afridi 9.3-0-58-3 (2nb); Hasan Ali 10-0-76-1 (1nb, 1w); Haris Rauf 9-1-45-2 (1w); Usman Qadir 9-0-48-1; Mohammad Nawaz 7-0-34-3; Faheem Ashraf 5-0-30-0.

RESULT: Pakistan won by 28 runs to win three-match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: M. Erasmus (South Africa) and B.P. Jele (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: A.T. Holdstock (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Babar Azam.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Fakhar Zaman.

FIRST MATCH: Centurion, Pakistan won by three wickets.

SECOND MATCH: Johannesburg, South Africa won by 24 runs.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2021