Saturday, February 10, 2007

Pakistan-SA one-dayer washed out


One-day international, Port Elizabeth:
Pakistan v South Africa - Match abandoned

The third one-day international between South Africa and Pakistan was abandoned because of heavy rain.

There had already been one stoppage when the rain returned with Pakistan on 245-8 with one ball remaining in their innings.

Mohammad Yousuf followed his century in Durban with 79 and shared a stand of 91 with Shoaib Malik, who made 41.

Andrew Hall took 4-35 for South Africa after being chosen to replace Andre Nel, who has a foot injury.

Nel needed stitches after his foot was cut in a freak accident when he opened a fridge and a bottle fell out and he is rated doubtful for the remainder of the series.

Pakistan chose to bat after winning the toss but made a bad start because of some poorly executed strokes by the top order.

Short balls from Makhaya Ntini accounted for openers Kamran Akmal and Imran Nazir in the same over - Akmal top edging a catch to mid-wicket and Nazir mistiming a pull to mid-on - and Younis Khan (22) slashed at a wide one from Hall and edged to the keeper.

Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq managed only a single before he fell leg-before to Hall as he shaped to play the ball away to square leg, but Yousuf and Malik gradually repaired the damage as home skipper Graeme Smith reverted to his support bowlers.

Jacques Kallis conceded 40 from five overs but eventually broke the partnership when Malik repeated Akmal's earlier error and AB de Villiers took the catch.

Yousuf progressed to his 52nd one-day half century off but only hit six fours before he was superbly caught behind by Mark Boucher off paceman Ntini, who completed his 10 overs for figures of 3-53.

The dangerous Shahid Afridi came and went in the space of 11 balls and Hall, who mixed up his pace and found some reverse swing, claimed his fourth success when Abdul Razzaq was caught behind for 27.

Azhar Mahmood had just top edged a six off a Charl Langeveldt no-ball when the weather closed in for the second time.

The series remains level at 1-1.


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