Pakistan has defeated South Africa by 33 runs in the important match of Group Two of ICCT20 World Cup.
South Africa had to score 142 runs in 14 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method as the match was affected by rain. But the entire team could only score 108 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 14 overs.
Temba Boma scored 36 runs and Aiden Markram scored 20 runs for South Africa. On behalf of Green Shirts, Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets and Shadab Khan took two wickets.
In the match being played in Sydney on Thursday, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first and scored 185 runs in 20 overs with the help of half-centuries from Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed.
On behalf of South Africa, Enrique Nokia scored 41 runs and dismissed four players.
South Africa’s innings
Chasing 186 runs, South Africa’s Temba Bauma and Quinton de Kock opened the innings but Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed de Kock for a wicket in his first over.
Shaheen’s fine bowling continued and he dismissed dangerous batsman Riley Russo for seven runs in his very next over. Naseem Shah takes his catch at third man.
After two players were dismissed, Temba Boma and Aidan Markram supported the team’s sinking now and pushed the score forward. Both hit the fast bowler Haris Rauf for fours. But today was Shadab Khan’s day. After one ball in the same over, Aiden Markram was also bowled.
After nine overs, play was stopped due to rain. After which, when both teams returned to the field, South Africa had to score 73 runs in five overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
South Africa’s sixth out was Wayne Parnell, who scored three runs and was lbw off Mohammad Wasim Jr.
After Tristan Stubbs’ dismissal, the last hopes of the Proteas were also extinguished. He was dismissed by Naseem Shah.
The eighth player to get out was Kagiso Rabada who was run out for one run. Enrique Nokia also made a run and caught Haris Rauf’s ball.
Pakistan’s innings
Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam made a disappointing start to the innings for Pakistan. Rizwan scored only four runs in the first over of the match and was bowled by Wayne Parnell.
Pakistani openers have not been able to show any special performance in the tournament so far and have been continuously unsuccessful.
One-down Mohammad Haris, who was playing his second T20 International, attacked the South African pacers as soon as he came in and showed his determination by hitting Rabada for two consecutive sixes. But in the fifth over, he hit Nokia for a six and went lbw on the very next ball. Mohammad Haris scored 28 runs off 11 balls with the help of three sixes and two fours.
Captain Babar Azam’s disappointing performance in the World Cup continued and he returned to the pavilion after scoring just six runs off 15 balls trying to hit Langi Ngidi for a six.
The fourth player to be dismissed was Shaan Masood, caught on a slow ball by Enrique Nokia.
After four wickets fell, Muhammad Nawaz came into the field and supported the team along with Iftikhar Ahmed. A partnership of 52 runs was established between the two. After scoring 28 runs off 22 balls, Nawaz was lbw off the ball of Tabriz Shamsi.
After Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan entered the field and changed the momentum of the match. He rained six fours and completed his half-century with the help of four sixes and three fours in just 20 balls. He scored 52 runs and was caught out by Enrique Nokia.
On the next ball, Nokia sent Mohammad Wasim Jr. to the pavilion for zero. On the first ball of the 20th over, Iftikhar Ahmed tried to hit Rabada for a six but Riley Russo took an unbelievable catch on the boundary. He was dismissed for 51 runs off 35 balls.
The ninth player to get out was Haris Rauf, he was run out after scoring three runs.