A perfectly-paced comeback century by Quinton de Kock was the linchpin for SA in Faisalabad on Thursday night, as the Proteas flattened Pakistan by eight wickets in the second One-Day International (ODI).
In so doing, they squared the three-match series 1-all ahead of the decider also in Faisalabad on Saturday.
De Kock, who finally scored 123 not out, initially had to play second fiddle to Lhaun-dre Pretorius, a beefy block of a man who wields the bat with intimidating force.
With Pretorius gone for an imperious 46, though, De Kock began to find his mojo.
He was severe off his legs and his lofted cover-drives were crisp as a deep-fried chicken wing.
Occasionally, his timing deserted him but he hung in there, negotiating the barren run patches on a good batting wicket.
His hundred came off a hundred balls and he looked as though he had never been out of a green shirt. It was his 22nd ODI century.
After putting on an opening partnership of 81 with Pretorius, De Kock was joined by Tony de Zorzi.
Initially, De Zorzi looked circumspect, but after negotiating a challenging first half hour, he began to find his range with an array of reverse sweeps, pulls through mid-wicket and slapping cover-drives.
He went to his fifty with an imperious lofted drive back over Mohammad Wasim junior’s head for four and was eventually out for 76 in a swashbuckling second-wicket partnership of 153 with De Kock.
It was the partnership that won the match.
While the South Africans deserve credit for the discipline and intelligence of their chase, Pakistan did not bowl well.
Former England opener Geoff Boycott used to talk about “buffet balls”, balls to which good batsmen “helped themselves.”
Pakistan bowled too many “buffet balls” and seldom were they able to hold the Proteas’ scoring in check.
Their performance in the field was shoddy and they dropped three catches.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan posted 269 after being rocked by losing three early wickets.
Their total was built around a fourth-wicket partnership of 92 between top-scorer Salman Agha (69) and Saim Ayub (53) and they were given traction at the end by Mohammed Nawaz, the left-hander.
He chipped in for a cheeky 59-ball 59 with three fours and four sixes, Pakistan scoring a breezy 90 runs in the last 10 overs.
Nandre Burger, with four for 46, including the prize scalp of Babar Azam, brilliantly caught by Donovan Ferreira in the slips for 11, was the pick of the South African bowlers.
Burger, the left-arm quick, made good use of the short ball.
He bowled with fire and fortitude and was well supported by Corbin Bosch and the young Lions leg-spinner, Nqaba Peter.
Bosch took two for 58, despite being given some stick at the end.
Peter bowled an expensive final over but finished with three for 55 in eight overs.
As a leg-spinner, he will have been tickled that all of his wickets were caught and bowled, which suggests he was out-thinking his victims. — TimesLIVE