/ 6 March 1998

Younis crushes SA batting

FRIDAY, 6.30PM:

AT stumps, South Africa were on 262/7 after 90 overs.

FRIDAY, 5.30PM:

SOUTH Africa were stuck with their backs against the wall on 157/5 at tea on the first day of the third Test against Pakistan at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Pakistani paceman Waqar Younis was the reason for South Africa’s batting woes continuing — the master of reverse swing picked up four wickets for 37 runs off 11 overs.

Adam Bacher again fell leg-before, and Jacques Kallis comitted suicide by taking his bat out of the way of a Younis inswinger. HD Ackerman’s offstump was also removed by an inswinging delivery.

Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten put up a good fight to put South Africa in a somewhat respectable position with a 45-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Kirsten, however, played a delivery by Younis onto his stumps, and departed to the hut for 38 off 88 balls.

Hansie Cronje and Hudson were in a position to build the innings, but Hudson fell to Mushtaq Ahmed bat-pad, caught Moin Khan for 42. Hudson’s demise saw the cream of the South African batting all out once again for a paltry 122 runs.

FRIDAY, 11.00AM:

SOUTH Africa were sent in to bat after Pakistani captain Rashid Latif won the toss to get the third Test between South Africa and Pakistan under way at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Friday morning.

The tourists are gunning as favourites after beating South Africa in the second Test, scoring a heavy psychological blow. The South African upper and middle-order batsmen face a tough test to prove their mettle, as the 90/5 bug will be uppermost in the minds of players like Cronje, Hudson and Bacher.

The inclusion of spinner Paul Adams may turn things around for Hansie’s men, who ventured into the Kingsmead Test with an exclusively seam attack. The pitch at St George’s Park is expected to take spin after about two days, and Adams may well come in handy.

Tea-time scores on the opening day of the third cricket Test between South Africa and Pakistan at St George’s Park on Friday:

South Africa, first innings:

A Bacher lbw Younis 3 (8m 7b)

G Kirsten b Younis 38 (119m 88b 5×4)

J Kallis b Younis 10 (14m 9b 2×4)

H Ackerman b Younis 11 (18m 13b 2×4)

A Hudson c Khan b Mushtaq 42 (161m 120b 5x4s)

H Cronje not out 36 (125m 73b 1×4 2×6)

S Pollock not out 11

Extras (1lb 5nb) 6

Total (for 5 wkts) 157 — 56 overs 245 mins (tea)

Fall of wickets: 1/3 2/13 3/36 4/81 5/122

Bowling (at tea): Akram 13-4-32-0 (3nb), Younis 11-2-37-4, Mahmood 12-5-22-0, Akhtar 8-2-20-0 (2nb) Mushtaq 11-1-45-1

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