MONDAY, 2.40PM:
A TWENTY YEAR old playing in his first test, scored a superb 115 off 270 balls to give Pakistan 216 for six on the first day of South Africa’s first full-length test against Pakistan. Pakistan can thank young Ali Naqvi for saving the team from the South African seam bowlers, with the rest of the team together scoring less than their rookie colleague.
Naqvi began with enormous confidence and aggression, scoring 25 runs off 25 balls, and continuing at a brisk pace with a string of fours until he reached his mid-eighties — at which point, with a century in sight, he batted more cautiously, taking 350 minutes to reach 115. His only fumble was at 95, when he narrowly missed being caught by Pat Symcox . Pakistan won the toss and elected to pitch on a difficult pitch for the bowlers whose steady barrage began making its mark just before tea, when Pat Symcox bowled opener Ijaz Ahmed for 11.
The scores so far:
S Anwar c Richardson b Donald 16
A Naqvi c Kirsten b Donald 115
M Ramzan lbw b Pollock 29
I Ahmed b Symcox 11
I Ul-Haq c Richardson b Schultz 8
M Wasim c Kirsten b Symcox 11
Pakistan 216 for six at the end of day one.