Pakistan barely put up a fight as they crashed to a 132 run loss to South Africa in the opening limited overs cricket match at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Chasing South Africa’s 272 for seven, Pakistan stumbled to 140 all out with 7,1 overs to spare.
While South Africa did bowl extremely well, the manner in which Pakistan capitulated had more to do with indifferent strokes than unplayable deliveries.
They hardly seemed interested in being competitive as they nudged and blocked the afternoon away. The largest partnership was a miserable 23 for the fourth wicket.
Only Wasim Akram managed to rouse the run chase with the briefest of innings. He smashed Nicky Boje for consecutive sixes over wide long on before Shaun Pollock returned to have him caught for 14.
Pollock, as he did throughout the Sri Lanka series, maintained a remarkable tight line and ended with three for 12 in 9.5 overs. At the other end left-arm spinner Boje took three for 29.
The tourists did, however, begin brightly. South Africa had been struggling somewhat after being asked to bat at 63 for three before Jonty Rhodes almost single-handedly rescued the South African batting cause.
On his home ground, Rhodes made 98 from 92 balls before he became Waqar Younis’s 400th victim.
To do so though Rhodes had to survive a Wasim Akram double strike that saw the South African middle order wobble precariously.
The 36 year old Akram produced an extraordinary display of swing bowling to record figures of three for 19 in 10 overs.
After dismissing Herschelle Gibbs for a duck in his first spell, Akram returned to york Graeme Smith for 52 and two balls later bowled Mark Boucher for nought.
Akram’s second spell of four overs cost just five runs. At 151 for six after 33 overs, Rhodes set about what he does best — hauling South Africa out of the deepest trouble.
He fairly raced to his mid thirties before adopting a more measured approach in making his half century.
Having achieved that mark, however, he and his Natalian team mate Shaun Pollock set about taking the fight to the Pakistani pacemen.
Rhodes blasted the terrifically quick Mohammed Sami over mid wicket for six as he stormed towards what would have been his third ODI century.
By then though he and Pollock had put on 99 in as many balls. After Rhodes had top edged Waqar Younis, Pollock assumed the role of chief aggressor, thumping Abdur Razzaq for consecutive sixes and a four in the final over of the innings. Pollock ended undefeated on 57 from 51 balls, having struck three sixes and a four. – Sapa