Pakistan v South Africa – ICC World Twenty20 2012 (15th Match - Group 2) – Live Score and Match Update – South Africa set Pakistan 134-run chase
Batting first, South Africa were unable to hold their own against the Pakistani spinners, and Jean-Paul Duminy’s 48 remained the top score as the Proteas posted a final total of 133, during their first Group 2 Super Eights match in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 2012, currently being played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today on September 28.
Both Pakistan and South Africa come into the Super Eights stage of the World T20 after having remained unbeaten during the group stage of the tournament. Placed in Group 2, which also includes Australia and India to round off what has been widely acknowledged as a tough pool, both sides are undoubtedly eager to get the Super Eights stage started off on the right note.
South Africa made one change to their XI, bringing in left-arm spinner Robin Peterson to replace batsman Faf du Plessis, an adjustment made with the spin-friendly surface at the R Premadasa in view. Pakistan also made a similar change, with Sohail Tanvir replaced with left-arm spinner Raza Hasan. The new addition saw Pakistan’s spin attack swelling to 4 - Saeed Ajmal, Mohammed Hafeez, and Shahid Afridi, in addition to Raza Hasan.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first, with the aim of racking up a substantial score before the surface slowed down. Richard Levi (8) and Hashim Amla (6) opened for their side, but their partnership had reached only 8 runs before Pakistan managed their first breakthrough – Yasir Arafat (3-0-25-2) intervened to claim the crucial wicket of Amla in the second over.
Jacques Kallis was the next man up to bat, but the veteran batsman was unable to contribute much to the team total, racking up an individual score of 12, in addition to teaming up with Levi for a 20-run partnership.
Levi was bowled by spin wizard Saeed Ajmal (4-1-26-1) in the 6th over, and Kallis followed him back to the pavilion in the very next over, caught out by Shahid Afridi off Mohammad Hafeez (4-0-23-2). Duminy remained the only batsman who managed to stand up to the Pakistani bowling attack, long enough to rack up 48, which was the highest score in the Proteas’ camp.
Duminy set up a 38-run stand with Farhaan Behardien (18), followed by a 44-run partnership with skipper AB de Villiers (25), after Behardien was stumped by Kamran Akmal off Hafeez in the 13th over. In addition to losing wickets, South Africa found themselves hampered by the stifling spells bowed by the Pakistani spinners, prominent among them Raza Hasan, who gave away only 12 in 3 overs.
de Villiers was dismissed by Umar Gul in the 18th over, and Duminy was sent packing in the very next over, off Yasir Arafat. By the end of 20 overs, with 6 wickets down and Albie Morkel (9*) and Robin Peterson (3*) at the crease, South Africa finished at 133 – a total they will need to work hard to defend.
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