Rain was the winner in the third MTN one-day international between South Africa and Pakistan at St George’s Park on Friday, when no play was possible in South Africa’s innings.
Pakistan made a challenging 245 for eight in their rain-interrupted innings, but the sell-out crowd did not get a chance to see whether South Africa would be able to chase down the runs. Just as the Pakistan team came out to warm up, there was a third downpour and the covers came on again.
Although the covers were taken off for a fourth time a short while later, the match was called off at 9.45pm after the umpires decided that the outfield was too wet for play.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat. Although they did not get off to the rollicking start they had in the second match in Durban on Wednesday, their middle order caused problems for the home side.
Makhaya Ntini made an early breakthrough when he took two wickets in three balls in his third over, with Kamran Akmal caught by Prince for six and Imran Nazir caught by Langeveldt for 13.
Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf shared a third-wicket stand of 44 before Younis — man of the match on Wednesday — was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Hall for 22 and Inzamam Ul-Haq made just one run before he was given out leg before wicket to Hall.
Inzamam’s departure brought Yousuf and Shoaib Malik together, and they started scoring at a very steady rate. They hit few boundaries, but their running between the wickets was superb and they were scoring at more than five runs an over. They put on 91 runs off 108 balls for the fifth wicket — their partnership including only five boundaries.
Jacques Kallis brought it to an end when Malik misjudged a delivery and spooned the ball into the air. AB de Villiers got under it and took an excellent catch to send Malik back on 41 off 51 balls.
Three balls later, Ntini got rid of the danger man when Boucher took a diving catch to dismiss Yousuf for 79.
Shahid Afridi, who made 77 off 35 deliveries on Wednesday, made his intentions clear, but Herschelle Gibbs took a good catch at point off Hall to dismiss Afridi for eight. He faced just four balls.
Abdul Razzaq was Hall’s fourth victim thanks to another good catch by Boucher. Razzaq made 27 off 25 balls, including three fours and a six.
Rain started falling in the 47th over. At the end of the over, the umpires led the players off the field, with Pakistan on 217 for eight.
Dinner was taken early, and the players returned after an interruption of an hour and 10 minutes. Hall bowled superbly in his last innings, conceding just four runs, but Pakistan scored 19 runs off Langeveldt in the last over. His sixth ball — bowled in the rain — was a no ball that Rana Naved hit for a massive six, and the players left the field with one delivery to go.
Hall was the most successful South African bowler, with four wickets for 35 runs off his 10 overs. Ntini took three for 53.
The fourth match will be played at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday, but rain could be a problem there as well.
South Africa and Pakistan are level with one win each. — Sapa