4th ODI South Africa v Pakistan

South Africa 234 for 9 (de Villiers 75, Ajmal 3-42) v Pakistan 

Twin strikes off the first two balls of the match, two more in the first ten overs and two in the batting powerplay was how Pakistan restricted South Africa in their must-win match in Durban. Sandwiched in between that was a 115-run fifth-wicket partnership between AB de Villiers and David Miller, which saved South Africa's blushes and Kingsmead's reputation.

At 38 for 4, it appeared the Durban demons had struck again and the team management's decision to water a pitch they initially complained about as too dry, backfired on them as they juiced it up for the quicks. But, it was not the surface that did the damage. Crafty bowling from Pakistan's opening bowlers and, later on, Saeed Ajmal were the main protagonists.

 

Mohammed Irfan struck with his first two deliveries to give Pakistan an immediate advantage. Hashim Amla poked at the first one, which angled across him, and got a thick outside edge. Kamran Akmal did well to dive to his right and pouch it.

 

Colin Ingram arrived with the team in trouble again but there was nothing he could do to help them. He was on the receiving end of a perfect yorker that swung away before straightening, caught him in his crease and removed his offstump. AB de Villiers found himself facing a hat-trick ball, and a man on fire, but only received a gentle full toss.

 

Graeme Smith had watched the carnage from the other end and was determined not to become part of it. He saw off a maiden over from Junaid Khan, all short of a length balls and one that caught him in the ribs, and five more deliveries to bring up his first run after 11 balls.

 

His only release was a chest-high ball from Irfan which he pulled over mid-wicket for six but Pakistan were quick to spot a technical error they could exploit. Smith persisted in moving across his off-stump and Junaid Khan slipped in a leg-side full toss that bowled him.

 

With inexperience in the South African middle order, that was a massive scalp for Pakistan but Junaid went one better. He bowled one that swung back in to Farhaan Behardien, who played away from his body and got an inside edge through to Akmal to leave South Africa in tatters.

 

It gave David Miller the perfect opportunity to make a big impact for the team and he almost let it go. He was let off on 9 when he clipped Mohammed Hafeez to Imran Farhat at short mid-wicket and an easy catch was put down. Pakistan paid for that mistake as Miller and AB de Villiers built steadily. 

 

De Villiers was more assured than his junior partner, who played some streaky shots including an edge to third man to break a 10-over boundary drought. Miller survived an lbw review off Saeed Ajmal that was correctly given not out on-field.

 

He went on to sweep and play the reverse paddle confidently and brought up his third half-century, off 63 balls, with a cover drive. De Villiers had already reached his, with a quiet drive to sweeper cover. De Villiers only scored one boundary in the partnerships as he focused on strike rotation. 

 

With the pair at the crease, Pakistan may have had shades of Centurion in their memories. There, they let South Africa finish on 191 after having them 62 for 5. They were spared somewhat because the duo did not take the powerplay and by the time it arrived, Miller was already out.

 

After registering his highest ODI score, Miller was trapped on the pad trying to play the paddle off Ajmal. He was given out and reviewed in vain. De Villiers managed to put on 17 more runs with Ryan McLaren before he was caught behind sweeping Ajmal and he had no reviews left to question whether he had gloved the ball.

 

McLaren tried to take responsibility but holed out to long-off. Irfan was stationed there but staring into the sun and stuck out a hand into which the ball landed. The powerplay yielded 17 runs for 2 wickets and put Pakistan firmly in control but they allowed South Africa to take back some it. 

 

Robin Peterson put on 30 runs with Rory Kleinveldt, 14 with Dale Steyn and struck two boundaries in the final over to ensure South Africa crossed the 230 mark and gave their bowlers something to defend. In the history of one-day cricket, there have only been two victories after a team was 0 for 2. South Africa will take heart from knowing one of those was them against India in Cape Town 2006. Pakistan will do the same in knowing they were other team to achieve that.

25 overs Pakistan 85 for 3 (Farhat 32*, Misbah 31*) need 150 runs to beat South Africa 234 for 9 (de Villiers 75, Ajmal 3-42)

Pakistan laboured in pursuit of a modest target to level the series but a combination of rotten luck and determined South African bowling played its part in their struggles.

Mohammed Hafeez became the first batsman in international cricket to be dismissed obstructing the field under the new laws while Kamran Akmal was caught magnificently by the same man Pakistan had dropped a sitter off. South Africa's seamers troubled them with tight lines and extraction of the same awkward bounce the Pakistan quicks were able to make use of but the first wicket had nothing to do with them.

 

After Imran Farhat flicked the ball to long leg, he called for a second run but Hafeez was slow in turning. As he tried to make his way through, he glanced over his shoulder at the keeper, who was aiming his throw towards non-striker's end, and when he saw he was in danger of being run-out, altered the line of his path slightly so as to run closer to the stumps. Under the new playing conditions, that is enough to be ruled out.

 

AB de Villiers fell foul of this law in a domestic match shortly after it was introduced and knew that an appeal would likely result in a wicket. South Africa went up and Hafeez was given out on referral. He was livid at the decision, shook his head from the moment the finger went up until he had left the field and the dressing room looked on in disbelief but there was still a match to be won.

 

Farhat and Kamran Akmal showed the right kind of aggression and took advantage of anything too short or too wide but still frustration built. Farhat was beaten by Dale Steyn's pace and spliced a ball back to the quick who attempted a return catch that resulted in him falling chest on with his arm underneath him. Steyn bowled two more overs before leaving the field clutching his shoulder.

 

While one Pakistan batsmen was counting his luck, another's ran out. Irony was thick in the air when David Miller, who was dropped when offering a sitter, pulled off a blinder at point. Kamran cut it towards Miller's toes and the local boy got down on his knee and snatched the catch.

 

Younis Khan was required to do some damage control but only caused even more. He went for a cut in Rory Kleinveldt first over to offer Graeme Smith a chance at slip and before he would sigh in relief that it was put down, played on in the same over. Kleinveldt got some good seam movement and Younis' poor series continued.

 

Pakistan found in almost exactly the same situation South Africa were in at 33 for 3 (the hosts were 34 for 3) and it was up to Farhat and Misbah-ul-Haq to do what AB de Villiers and Miller did. They were required to employ immense patience, struggled to get the bowlers away and were strangled by Robin Peterson, who had a catch dropped of his bowling when Farhat edged off a cut and de Villiers could not hold on.

 

The required run-rate jumped from 4.7 at the beginning of the innings to close to six an over and Pakistan will have to be more industrious if they hope to level the series.

Pakistan 236 for 7 (Farhat 93, Misbah 80) beat South Africa 234 for 9 (De Villiers 75, Miller 67, Ajmal 3-42) by three wickets

Hold a mirror up to Pakistan's match-winning innings at Kingsmead and you will see South Africa's, minus one major crack. Both sides lost early wickets before being anchored by a sizeable partnership, and Misbah-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat's 153-run stand made the ultimate difference.

Misbah scored his second half-century in the series and Farhat celebrated his return to the side with a well-paced knock. Farhat fell with only nine runs to get and by then he had done enough to negate South Africa's attack. On the whole, they were too generous in the extras department and lacked the same bite Pakistan had shown in the Powerplays.

Pakistan got first use of a pitch South Africa were worried would be too dry; they ordered it to be juiced up on the eve of the match. But the surface could not be credited for the top-order collapse as much as the potency of Pakistan's opening bowlers. Mohammed Irfan stunned South Africa with the first two deliveries of the match. He had Hashim Amla caught behind and removed Colin Ingram with a yorker.

Graeme Smith joined the procession when Junaid Khan bowled him off a full toss bowling on leg stump. Junaid plucked the fourth when Farhaan Behardien inside-edged through to Kamran Akmal and South Africa were reeling at 38 for 4.

In that mess, lay an opportunity for David Miller to make an impact and he almost let it go, while he was dropped on 9. Pakistan paid for that mistake as Miller taunted them with some streaky shots. He edged to third man twice and survived an lbw review off Saeed Ajmal. But, he was strong on the sweep and reverse-paddle and brought up his third half-century off 63 balls. AB De Villiers had already reached his fifty by then. He only scored one boundary in the partnership, as he focussed on strike-rotation.

De Villiers, however, may have missed a trick by not taking the Powerplay while Miller was still there. He waited until it was mandatory by which time Miller was out, trapped in front by Ajmal. He reviewed it in vain and may have even cost his captain later on. De Villiers was caught behind sweeping Ajmal and he had no reviews left to question whether he had gloved the ball or not. The Powerplay, which also included the wicket of Ryan McLaren, yielded 17 runs and two wickets to put Pakistan firmly in control.

Robin Peterson helped South Africa go past the 230-mark but with the knowledge that scores above 250 are rare at the ground, Pakistan would have been confident. Their start to the chase would have hurt that. Mohammed Hafeez became the first batsman in international cricket to be dismissed obstructing the field under the new laws, and Kamran Akmal was caught magnificently by Miller. Hafeez was livid with his dismissal, but it was nothing more than application of the playing conditions. When returning for a second run, he altered the line of his path slightly to be struck, but it was enough to be ruled out. De Villiers fell prey to this law in a domestic match shortly after it was introduced and knew that an appeal would likely result in a wicket.

Farhat and Akmal showed some aggression but also flirted with danger. When Farhat spliced a ball back to Dale Steyn, he could have been caught in the follow-through but Steyn fell hard on his chest. Steyn bowled two more overs before leaving the field clutching his shoulder. Akmal didn't have the same luck. When he cut to point, Miller was waiting. The fortune pendulum went back Pakistan's way when Younis Khan was dropped by Smith at slip but that did not cost South Africa because played on in the same over.

At 33 for 3, Farhat and Misbah-ul-Haq had to do what de Villiers and Miller did for South Africa. They had to employ immense patience in the face of strangulation from Peterson, who could have had Farhat for 26, had de Villiers held on to a bottom edge. The pair was content to bide time. The stand was not risk free, however. Misbah scored the fifth and sixth boundaries of the innings in the 25th and 26th over, and they were both streaky - an inside edge and a top-edge.

With nerves rising, de Villiers took a gamble and brought on Ingram - who has not bowled in international cricket - for some part-time leg spin. Misbah smashed him for two sixes down the ground with a four sandwiched in between. The over cost 17 runs and was the most expensive of the innings but that was not the only reason it was notable. It brought the required-rate down to under six and took the pressure off Pakistan considerably.

Another boundary was not scored for three overs but the body language had changed. South Africa were desperate, Pakistan hopeful, and Misbah sensed a century. He played a selection of stylish strokes, a majority of them in his preferred straight area. He was the favourite of the two in-batsmen to register three-figures but top-edged Peterson to Behardien at midwicket.

When Shahid Afridi boomed briefly and then went bust, the path was clear for Farhat to finish the job. The shot that defined his innings was a six over Steyn's head when he cleared his front leg and swatted the ball over the boundary. That took him into the 90s and that was when the excitement got to him.

In his haste to bring up a milestone, Farhat tried to clear the in-field but was caught by Berhardien who chased it down from cover. By then, Pakistan needed runs in single-figures and even though Wahab Riaz was run out trying to get them, Ajmal and Shoaib Malik finished it off. The series will be decided on Sunday in Benoni where South Africa could find themselves without Steyn and Smith, who has a knee problem.