Pakistani paceman Waqar Younis tore through the South African top order in the second one day international cricket match at St George’s Park on Wednesday to send the hosts crashing to their heaviest ever defeat.
By winning the match by 182 runs, Pakistan not only eclipsed the 107 run defeat the West Indies inflicted on South Africa in Kingston, they also levelled the five match series 1-1.
Just three days after capitulating utterly at Kingsmead, Pakistan turned in an extraordinary all round performance to first storm to a mammoth 335 for six before dismissing the South Africans for 153 in 29 overs.
That record tally against South Africa was founded on the 257 from 247 balls that Salim Elahi and Abdul Razzaq put on for the second wicket.
Opening batsman Elahi took full advantage of the life offered to him by Lance Klusener to hammer 135 from 129 balls to power Pakistan to the biggest total at St George’s Park.
In attempting to mount the highest successful run chase, South Africa began at a furious rate, cruising to the first 50 in just 43 balls. Herschelle Gibbs blasted 40 from 35 balls before Waqar ripped out his middle stump.
From there on in, it was a bit of a procession. Waqar bowled Gibbs’ opening partner Graeme Smith for 18 and then trapped Neil McKenzie in front for 4 in taking 3 for 45 in his opening spell of seven overs.
At the other end, Mohammed Sami accounted for Nicky Boje for 7 and Jonty Rhodes for 1 as the hosts lost five wickets for 25 runs.
Klusener batted gamely in making 29 not out but by then it was simply far too late. Such a huge defeat would not have been possible without the 26 year old Elahi, who was dropped on 34 by Klusener at third man.
Along with Razzaq who made 112, the pair savaged a South African attack that has not been tested this summer at home.
That was until Wednesday, of course.
After his staid performance in Durban where he made 31 from all of 69 balls and battled to lay bat on ball, Elahi virtually exploded into action in Port Elizabeth.
Once Shahid Afridi was removed having made 13 from eight balls, Elahi came completely into his own, playing with wonderful freedom.
His 50 came from just 48 balls and his fourth ODI century from 94 balls. Together with Razzaq, whose maiden hundred came from 111 balls, Elahi butchered the local bowling figures.
On the same ground that realised 656 runs against Australia last season, none of the bowlers was really spared the carnage.
Makhaya Ntini, who dismissed Afridi with his fifth ball, conceded 36 runs from his first five overs. Those figures were, however, somewhat more palatable than those of Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener. Boje went for 45 runs in his opening six overs while Klusener was smashed for 25 in his first three overs.
Klusener, at least, had the satisfaction of breaking the partnership when he had Razzaq caught on the long on fence.
That Pakistan should put on such a stunning batting display after their miserable performance in Durban was typical of the most staggeringly inconsistent side in world cricket.
In Durban they stuttered to 140 all out. As South African coach Eric Simons pointed out, it was from a true reflection of their extraordinary abilities. – Sapa