LAHORE – Prolific wicketkeeper batsman Muhammad Rizwan steered Pakistan to a 3-run victory over South Africa in the first Twenty 20 International played here at the historical Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night.
Helped by brilliant bowling by sensational leg spinner Usman Qadir and pacer Haris Rauf, Pakistan restricted South Africa to 166-6 in the allotted 20 overs. The last over was a treat to watch where the visitors needed 19 runs for victory. Although scoring 19 in the last over of Faheem Ashraf was looking a tough target, yet the Proteas batted boldly and kept on hitting hard and on the last ball, they just needed 6 runs to win. Bjorn Fortuin was the batsman, who was facing the last delivery and tried to hit six but could gather only two runs, thus losing the match by 3 runs.
South Africa though started their run chase well and completed their fifty runs total in the sixth over. When the visitors were well settled and looking to chase the target quite comfortably, Usman Qadir, at this crucial time, provided much-needed breakthrough to the hosts. Qadir first sent packing to opener Janneman Malan at his individual score of 44 and then took the wicket of Jacques Synman (2) in the ninth over at the total of 2-61.
Faheem Ashraf then took the scalp of danger man David Miller (6) at a total of 83-3 in 11.6 overs. Captain Heinrich Klaasen then steadied their innings along with opener Reeza Hendricks, who contributed 32 runs for the fourth wicket partnership. Captain Klaasen was then sent packing by Haris Rauf at his individual score of 12. Another danger man Reeza Hendricks was the next batsman, who was run out by Mohammad Rizwan at a score of 54 runs. They kept on losing crucial wickets, thus lost the match by3 runs.
Earlier helped by Muhammad Rizwan’s maiden T20I century, Pakistan posted a good total of 170 runs in 20 overs. The hero of the second Test, Rizwan, smashed unbeaten 104 off 64 balls with the help of 7 sixes and 6 fours. With this century, Rizwan became the second Pakistani batsman who scored a hundred in the T20Is as Ahmed Shahzad was the first Pakistani batsman, who scored T20I century (111*) against Bangladesh during the World T20 in March 2014.
Rizwan’s brilliant knock was the only key contribution for the hosts as he didn’t receive much help from his teammates, however, with the promising Haider Ali brilliantly caught on the midwicket boundary by debutant Jacques Snyman just when he was threatening to cut loose. Only three of Pakistan batsmen – Haider Ali (21), Hussain Talat (15) and Khushdil Shah (12) – managed to cross the double figures.
Rizwan began carefully, striking his first 30 in as many balls on a slow, dry pitch, but changed gears in the 12th over, striking paceman Junior Dala for three sixes as he sped to his 50 in 35 balls. David Miller also brought off a fine catch on the long-on boundary to dismiss Faheem Ashraf as Pakistan relied almost exclusively on Rizwan to build momentum.
The visitors’ fielding standards suddenly plunged in the closing overs, however, as Rizwan was first dropped by Junior Dala at long-on before Snyman missed him in the covers in the last over. Rizwan celebrated his fortune by then clobbering Andile Phehlukwayo over cow corner for his seventh six to reach three figures. Andile Phehlukwayo bagged two wickets for 33 runs in his four overs while Bjorn Fortuin and Tabraiz Shamsi managed to take one wicket each conceding 25 and 20 runs respectively.
Scorecard
PAKISTAN:
Mohammad Rizwan not out 104
Babar Azam run out 0
Haider c Snyman b Phehlukwayo 21
Hussain Talat st Klaasen b Shamsi 15
Iftikhar Ahmed c Hendricks b Fortuin 4
Khushdil Shah c Fortuin b Sipamla 12
Faheem c Miller b Phehlukwayo 4
Mohammad Nawaz not out 3
EXTRAS: (b1, lb3, w2) 6
TOTAL: (6 wkts, 20 overs) 169
FOW: 1-1, 2-37, 3-69, 4-99, 5-134, 6-143.
BOWLING: Bjorn Fortuin 3-0-25-1, Dwaine Pretorius 2-0-13-0, Andile Phehlukwayo 4-0-33-2, Lutho Sipamla 4-0-37-1, Jacques Snyman 1-0-12-0, Junior Dala 2-0-25-0, Tabraiz Shamsi 4-0-20-1.
SOUTH AFRICA:
Janneman Malan b Usman Qadir 44
Reeza Hendricks run out 54
Jacques Snyman b Usman Qadir 2
D Miller c Rizwan b Faheem Ashraf 6
H Klaasen c Hussain b Haris Rauf 12
A Phehlukwayo c Haider b Haris 14
Dwaine Pretorius not out 15
Bjorn Fortuin not out 17
EXTRAS: (w2) 2
TOTAL: (6 wkts, 20 overs) 166
FOW: 1-53, 2-61, 3-83, 4-115, 5-134, 6-139.
BOWLING: Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-21-0, Haris Rauf 4-0-44-2, Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-0-37-0, Usman Qadir 4-0-21-2, Khushdil Shah 1-0-6-0, Faheem Ashraf 3-0-37-1.
TOSS: South Africa
UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza, Aleem Dar
TV UMPIRE: Shozab Raza
MATCH REFEREE: Muhammad Javed
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