Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers hit quick-fire hundreds as South Africa tuned up for the one-day international series with a crushing 176-run win against Pakistan’s Patron’s XI on Tuesday.
Boucher scored a 106-ball 103 while de Villiers raced to an unbeaten 113 off 95 balls as the tourists compiled 328-4 in just 45 overs at Bagh-e-Jinnah Stadium.
South Africa then bowled out the Patron’s XI for a paltry 152 in 31.3 overs in their only tour game ahead of the five-match one-day series against Pakistan, which starts on Thursday.
Boucher, who opened the innings in the absence of rested captain Graeme Smith, hit 14 boundaries and a six and added 165 runs for the third wicket with De Villiers after the home team won the toss and opted to field.
Patron’s XI paceman Abdul Rauf removed Herschelle Gibbs (18) and Jean-Paul Duminy for a duck to restrict the tourists to 36-2, but the home bowlers then struggled against Boucher and De Villiers.
Rauf also suffered badly at the hands of Shaun Pollock, who hit him for four consecutive sixes off the last four balls of the innings. Pollock, playing his first match of the tour, finished with an unbeaten 11-ball 33.
The 34-year-old all-rounder was dropped for the two-Test series, which South Africa won 1-0 last week.
De Villiers said he was happy with the work-out.
”It is nice to get hundred in the warm-up match but the real match, the one-day international, is coming up and I look forward to that,” said de Villiers.
The Patron’s XI were never in the hunt after being set the imposing target and lost wickets at regular intervals. Mansoor Amjad top-scored with 42, while teenage opener Ahmed Shahzad made 35 with two sixes off Pollock.
Pacemen Charl Langeveldt and Albie Morkel took three wickets apiece.
Brief Scores:
South Africa 328-4 in 45 overs (M. Boucher 103, AB de Villiers 113 not out); Patron’s XI 152 in 31.3 overs (Mansoor Amjad 42; A. Morkel 3-22, C. Langeveldt 3-29) — AFP
