WEDNESDAY, 5.30PM:
SOUTH Africa came back fighting in their second inningsof the first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi on Wednesday, finishing the day on 139 for one wicket, leaving them in need of 118 runs to avoid a follow-on.
Openers Gary Kirsten and Adam Bacher got South Africa off to a good start, adding 107 for the first wicket before Bacher was caught at mid-on by Mohammed Ramzan off the bowling of Saqlain Mushtaq for 50. At the close, Kirsten was still at the crease on 62 with Jacques Kallis on 20.
Meanwhile, sad news for the South Africans is that fast bowler Brett Schultz is to return home at the weekend after suffering a shoulder injury on Tuesday.
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM:
HAVING ended play on Tuesday with a formidable first-innings tally of 345/9, Pakistan came back smoking on the third day with a second debutante century.
Number eight Azhar Mahmood hit a magnificent 128 not out, following Ali Naqvi’s earlier 115 — the first time two debut centuries have been scored in the same innings.
In another record, Mahmood, together with Mushtaq Ahmed, equalled the world record of 151 for the last wicket partnership as they batted the South African bowlers into submission. Ahmed was finally bowled by captain Hansie Cronje in the last over before lunch, to set a seemingly unreachable target for the South Africans of 456/9, leaving the South Africans to score 257 to avert the follow-on.
LUNCH SCORE:
Pakistan first innings — (216/6 wkts overnight)
S Anwar c Richardson b Donald 16 (40m 26b 2×4)
A Naqvi c Kirsten b Donald 115 (350m 270b 14×4)
M Ramzan lbw b Pollock 29 (138m 92b 4×4)
I Ahmed b Symcox 11 (50m 34b 1×4)
I Ul-Haq c Richardson b Schultz 8 (30m 22b 1×4)
M Wasim c Kirsten b Symcox 11 (75m 56b 2×4)
M Khan lbw b Donald 12 (58m 34b)
A Mehmood not out 128 (348m 267b 11×4 1×6)
S Mushtaq lbw b Pollock 0 (11m 5b)
W Younis lbw b Pollock 45 (101m 81b 5×4 2×6)
M Ahmed b Cronje 59 (182m 106b 4×4 4×6)
Extras (2b 7lb 13nb) 22
Total 456 — 162,5 overs (700 mins, lunch)
Fall of wickets: 1/45 2/114 3/135 4/152 5/196 6/206 7/230 8/231 9/305.
Bowling: Donald 33-3-108-3 (1nb), Schultz 15-4-58-1 (6nb),
Pollock 37-13-74-3 (3nb), McMillan 17-5-36-0 (3nb), Symcox
46-11-130-2, Kallis 7-3-15-0, Cronje 7,5-0-26-1.