Pakistan shocked South Africa in a slightly rain-reduced game at Auckland’s Eden Park to continue their World Cup revival and boost their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.
Pakistan’s hopes of making the last eight looked doubtful when they lost their first two Pool B matches, to India and West Indies. Yet Misbah-ul-Haq’s side have responded by beating Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates and now the Proteas, the latter being among the favourites for the tournament.
Today’s 29-run Duckworth/Lewis win leaves Pakistan alongside South Africa on six points with a group game to play, versus Ireland and UAE respectively.
The former pair should book a quarter-final spot along with India, who yesterday ensured their progression with a fourth victory from four, and either Ireland or West Indies.
Pakistan owed much to Misbah’s 56 in posting 222 all out in two balls short of their 47-over innings, twice interrupted by rain, while paceman Dale Steyn did much of the damage, returning 3-30 from 10 overs and taking a brilliant catch running back from mid-on.
Although the Proteas slipped to 102 for six in the 20th over, in-form captain AB de Villiers kept them in the hunt until falling for 77 from 58 deliveries shortly before South Africa were dismissed in the 34th over, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz each striking thrice.
Having been put in to bat in overcast conditions, Pakistan openers Ahmed Shehzad and Sarfraz Ahmed shared their best stand of the tournament by putting on 12. That has risen to 30 when Steyn back-peddled to brilliantly hold Shehzad.
Successive Sarfraz sixes off JP Duminy and a third from the last ball of the over got the crowd going, but the batsman was run out for a run-a-ball 49 in the next.
Younus Khan scored a smooth 37 before falling to de Villiers’ medium pace, yet Misbah held firm as two other wickets went ahead of a rain delay at 175 for five from 37 overs.
Misbah had gone to his third straight fifty and 22 runs had been added when rain returned in the 41st over, before and after which Shahid Afridi fired 22 until becoming the first of three late Steyn victims, the second being Misbah, as Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 10 runs.
South Africa saw Quinton de Kock go second ball, caught behind off Irfan for nought, but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis responded with an alliance of 67. Both departed in quick succession in the same fashion as de Kock. De Plessis went to Rahat for 27 and Amla to Riaz for 38.
That bowling duo soon struck again, making the score 77 for five in the 16th over.
De Villiers typically attacked, reaching 1,000 World Cup runs, while wickets fell around him. His half-century occupied 45 deliveries and he looked like earning an unlikely win until feathering a short Sohail Khan ball behind in the 33rd over, having hit five sixes and seven fours in his 58 deliveries.
Riaz completed victory in the next by likewise ousting Imran Tahir, albeit with a fuller ball, giving gloveman Sarfraz his sixth catch, a Pakistan one-day international record.
De Villiers later said: “We were shocking with the bat. We have been under pressure many times in the last few years and come out on top.”