WEDNESDAY, 5.30PM:
THE first cricket Test between South Africa and Pakistan was finally abandoned shortly after lunch on Wednesday’s final day with the home side adding 44 runs without loss to their first-innings tally of 364.
The start of the match was delayed for a day following an assault on two Pakistani bowlers, and Tuesday’s play was cancelled due to rain. With the weather still threatening on Wednesday, play meandered aimlessly until both captains agreed to call it a draw and head for the showers.
WEDNESDAY, 3.00PM:
SOUTH Africa were 44 without loss at lunch on the final day of the rain-wrecked first cricket Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers on Wednesday.
With over 161 overs already lost to the inclement weather, lunch was taken nine minutes early due to a light drizzle. After yet another failed start — bad light delayed the start by 64 minutes — action was finally resumed at 11.34am with Gary Kirsten facing up to Waqar Younis under the glare of floodlighting.
With little at stake, South Africa’s caretaker captain Kirsten and Adam Bacher were basically batting for personal gain. And both made good use of the practice to boost their averages. Matching each other shot-for-shot, the openers were both on 20 at the break, with Kirsten hitting four boundaries and Bacher three.
WEDNESDAY, 10.30AM:
PLAY resumes on Wednesday in the first Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers. With the Pakistanis having posted a respectable first-innings total of 329 in reply to SA’s 364 the game would be wide open were it not for the weather.
The fourth day’s play was cancelled on Tuesday because of rain and Wednesday’s play starts under leaden skies. If rain interferes again, the match will undoubtedly be called off in a draw.
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