Boeta Dippenaar hit a solid half century and Shaun Pollock took three wickets to guide South Africa to a convincing seven-wicket win and take the one-day series 3-2 after the fifth and final day-night international in Pakistan on Sunday.
Dippenaar made a polished 74 off 125 balls with five boundaries to anchor South Africa’s clinical reply to reach 193-3 in 45,5 overs.
All-rounder Abdul Razzaq made a fighting 38 and Rashid Latif notched 25 as the home team were dismissed for another low score of 192 in 49,3 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat on a slow-paced wicket.
Pakistan’s disappointing batting left a full-house holiday crowd of 18 000 frustrated as they lost the series after winning the first two games.
South Africa, who came back with wins of 13 runs and six wickets respectively, were given a flying start by Herschelle Gibbs and Dippenaar before leg-spinner Danish Kaneria gave the home team the first breakthrough.
Latif effected a brilliant stumping off Kaneria’s flighted delivery after Gibbs made 34 with four boundaries.
Dippenaar, who made an unbeaten 110 in the first match, found an able ally in Jacques Kallis as the duo put the tourists on the winning track with a solid second wicket stand of 93 off 125 balls.
With 25 needed to win, pacer Mohammad Sami removed both Kallis and Dippenaar in his eight over but the double strike was too late as Jacques Rudolph (13) and Neil McKenzie (9) achieved the target.
The home team added an invaluable 76 for the last four wickets with Razzaq sharing two partnerships of 36 each for the sixth wicket with Shoaib Malik (20) and Rashid Latif, who made 25 before Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini wrapped up the innings.
Ntini, who took 2-38, forced an edge to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off to finish Razzaq’s 51-ball knock, which included three boundaries and removed Sami, who made 22.
Sami added 28 for the eighth wicket with Latif.
Pollock removed Latif and Shoaib Akhtar to wrap up the innings with figures of 3-33.
Pakistan could never recover from the early loss of opener Mohammad Hafeez, bowled in the second over by Andre Nel and the in-form Yousuf Youhana, who was adjudged leg before off Pollock for nought.
Hafeez managed only 33 runs in the series.
Nel then had Yasir Hameed caught at short mid-wicket off an uppish flick for a 39-ball 28.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq and Younis Khan had the best stand of the innings, adding 40 for the fourth wicket before both fell within the space of five runs.
Inzamam, showing signs of discomfort due to injury, failed to beat Jacques Rudolph’s direct throw from mid-on and was run out for the 36th time in his 298-match career.
Younis was bowled by Robin Peterson for 13 to leave Pakistan tottering at 5-80.
Pakistan brought in Inzamam, Abdul Razzaq and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for Faisal Iqbal, Naved Latif and Shabbir Ahmed while the tourists were forced to induct Neil McKenzie and Alan Dawson for the suspended captain Graeme Smith and Andrew Hall.
Smith and Hall were suspended for breaching the code of conduct in the second match in Pakistan’s easternmost city of Lahore last week.
Pakistan and South Africa now play a two-match Test series in Lahore (October 17 to 21) and in the eastern industrial city of Faisalabad (October 24 to 28).
”The guys were eager to do well. We were given a label of chokers but this will silence people,” said South African stand-in captain Mark Boucher.
Boucher praised man of the match Dippenaar and said his bowlers put them on the winning path.
A disappointed Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq said his team fell 20-30 runs short.
”It’s disappointing to lose the series from a 2-0 lead and in this match we made 20 to 30 runs short,” said Inzamam. — Sapa-AFP