Pak crush SA, level series

Yousuf faced 111 balls and hit 12 fours in a relatively measured innings that contrasted sharply with the frenetic batting of some of his team mates. Other key contributors included Younis Khan, who scored 93, Afridi, who was 77 not out, and Imran Nazir, who made 57, as Pakistan reached a record one-day total against South Africa. It was also their third highest total in ODIs.

The free-scoring Afridi reached his half-century off 20 balls, while Nazir, in his first one-day international since July 2004, passed 50 in 32 balls. In all, Afridi faced 35 balls and hit five fours and six sixes.

The South Africans bowled too short on a pitch that offered bounce but less pace, and the Pakistanis took full toll by smashing 35 fours and 11 sixes.

South Africa’s reply never caught fire. AB de Villiers top-scored with 43 while Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs shared 61 for the third wicket. But Pakistan took wickets in clusters, removing Gibbs, Kallis and Ashwell Prince in the space of 11 deliveries.

Consequently, the South Africans struggled to maintain momentum.

Vice-captain Younis Khan after the win said that the team had regained their pride after the victory following two crushing defeats.

“We played for pride. The way we lost the Twenty20 game and the way we lost the first one-day, we were hurting. It’s an important series coming before the World Cup, and South Africa are a tough team. They tried their best, but today our planning was better than South Africa’s,” Khan told reporters.

He added that Pakistan would not take undue confidence from their win. “We played well, but today is over and it’s how we play in the rest of the series that matters now.”