The first Jacques Kallis benefit match ended in an exciting finish at Newlands on Friday night.
Despite a century from Salman Butt and some big hitting from Lance Klusener, cool heads in the fielding team prevailed and Andrew Hall was particularly composed in a final spell of four overs, dismissing both of these batsmen and Mohammad Sami to seal the match.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first on a slowish pitch, the Proteas lost Boeta Dippenaar in the first over as he prodded at a delivery from Sami. The Pakistani managed to get the ball to leave both left- and right-handers.
Both Graeme Smith and Hall looked rusty, but managed to reach the 50 mark in the 11th over. Their partnership then blossomed as Hall took a heavy toll on some wayward bowling from Mfuneko Ngam. The second 50 of their partnership came in only five more overs, some of the brightest batting of the match.
After being greeted by a rousing cheer, Allan Donald made the breakthrough by bowling Hall. The partnership had contributed an entertaining 104 off 106 balls. Smith went to a fine catch by AB de Villiers off an inside edge, and thereafter the innings lost its way.
While Donald and Jacques Kallis showed good control, the surprise package was Jonty Rhodes, who was given an extended spell to go with some lively fielding.
Only some big hitting in the dying overs gave the Proteas a respectable total, as both Ashwell Prince and Shaun Pollock capitalised on a solid partnership. Ngam saw both batsmen lift him over the ropes in his return over, but the Eastern Cape paceman had the last laugh as he ended the innings with a hat-trick.
The international team found conditions tricky at the start of the innings, losing De Villiers in the first over. Kallis failed to settle in before edging Charl Langeveldt’s third delivery to Justin Kemp at second slip. After 15 overs, the score had crawled on to 30.
Brian Lara then joined Butt and the pair consolidated with a partnership of 79 before the West Indian miscued a drive off Makhaya Ntini. Jonty Rhodes batted with gay abandon before falling to his favoured reverse sweep, and Gary Kirsten also played positively.
Both were dismissed by Nicky Boje, who was otherwise expensive, conceding eight boundaries, half of them sixes, in his seven overs. At the fall of Kirsten’s wicket, the Invitation team still needed 101 to win in 13 overs.
Lance Klusener joined Butt in a valuable partnership of 62 off 61 balls. The Pakistani opener had crawled to his 50 off 97 balls, but played expansively thereafter and completed his century off a further 43.
Klusener missed an outrageous shot in the 48th over as the tension built, and the final over arrived with 10 runs still needed. Sami needed a four off the last ball, but his attempt to lift the ball over short fine leg saw his stumps rearranged. — Sapa