Pakistan avoids follow-on as the tail annoys http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757
Resilient Pakistan avoided the follow-on against South Africa on day 4 at lunch, when Abdur Rehman pushed Paul Harris into the covers for a single. In an absorbing day of Test match cricket at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, the home team battled hard to offer resistance against the Proteas’ all-out attack, racking up 412/8, on the way.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dale-c52110 Styen struck on the very first ball to get rid of him, leg-before-wicket.
The home team was in dire straits as they lost their captain early on, without adding a single run for the day. Rehman kept his team in the hunt to avoid the follow-on trailing 67 runs. In doing so, the left hander showed great courage and strength to bow the opposition down with his competent batting. In the process, the 31-year old scored 41 runs, including a towering six and five boundaries.
Tanvir Ahmed and Rehman assembled 59 runs between them in a defying show to make South Africa bat again for the second time. The debutant, who took six wickets in the first innings, showed his ability with the bat by playing some breathtaking strokes in a display of 30 runs.
For the tourists, bowling hasn’t done badly in the first session as they picked up two wickets with some persistent bowling. However, Proteas conceded 95 runs in the session.
Dale has been the pick of the bowlers for his team as he has gathered decent figures of 4/97. The leading fast bowler bowled an attacking line right outside the off-stump to test the patience of the batsmen and his persistence paid off when he got the valuable wickets of Azhar Ali and Younis khan with his methodical approach.
Paul Harris impressed with his variations with the ball and in addition, the left arm spinner used the arm ball to perfection as he collected two late order wickets to make Pakistan tremble. Umar Gul was on the receiving end as he was deceived in the flight by playing the reverse sweep off the ball that came into the right hander with the arm, striking the batsman onto the pads right in-front of the stumps.
Previously, Azhar Ali has been the star of the show for his remarkable innings of 90 runs that has helped his team in reaching a worthy first innings total. Asad Shafiq, the debutant with his 61-run painting has impressed everyone with his confidence and amazing array of stroke play.
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