Half-centuries by Hashim Amla, Ashwell Prince and Herschelle Gibbs helped South Africa to recover from a disastrous start to their first innings on the second day of the first Castle Lager Test against Pakistan at Supersport Park on Friday.
At close of play, South Africa had 254 for four in reply to Pakistan’s first-innings total of 313.
Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse in the first hour of play, with Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel taking five wickets in 12 overs. But while the wickets were tumbling, the visitors continued to make runs, putting on 71 runs for the last five wickets.
Makhaya Ntini took three of the wickets to notch up his 16th five-wicket haul. The first was the important wicket of the Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul-Haq, who was caught by Hashim Amla at deep square leg after attempting a pull shot off a short delivery form Ntini. He made 42.
Ntini also took the wickets of Shahid Nazir, who was caught by Herschelle Gibbs for 15, and Danish Kaneria, caught in the slips by Jacques Kallis without scoring.
Nel claimed the wicket of Kamran Akmal, caught by Shaun Pollock for 29, and then finished off Pakistan’s first innings in the over after the drinks break when he caught Naved Ul-Hasan off his own bowling for 30.
Pakistan’s leading pace-bowler, Mohammad Asif, had South Africa in trouble almost immediately, when Graeme Smith was caught behind by Akmal without scoring in the third over.
In his next over, Asif had AB de Villiers caught in the slips by Younis Khan for four, and South Africa were in dire straits on eight for two.
Kallis and Amla put on 45 for the third wicket, but Asif continued his inroads into the South African top order when Kallis was caught by Khan for 18.
Amla and Prince took the attack to Pakistan, and shared a partnership of 90 runs in an hour and 40 minutes before Asif took his fourth wicket of the day, when Amla edged a ball to Akmal for 71.
His 50 — his third Test half-century — came up off 89 balls in two hours.
Gibbs and Prince continued to keep chipping away at the deficit, scoring at more than three runs an over, with Gibbs looking more like the player of a few seasons ago.
He survived a close call when Pakistan appealed vociferously for a ball that came off his boot, but the third umpire ruled that he could not determine whether Gibbs had got an edge and declared him not out.
Prince reached his fifth Test 50 off 98 balls, and Gibbs’s 24th came off 89. His milestone also brought up the 100 partnership.
At close of play, Prince was not out on 77 and Gibbs had 58.
Although Asif claimed four wickets, he was also guilty of bowling 11 no balls, and Pakistan were guilty of some sloppy fielding. — Sapa