Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

Pak-SA: Special Sami

Monday, October 6 2003

A superbly disciplined team effort with both bat and ball was the foundation for Pakistan's victory over South Africa at Lahore to go 2-0 up in the five-match ODI series. Yousuf Youhana made 65 despite Makhaya Ntini's 4/46 before Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Sami - who also ran two South Africans out - picked up three wickets each.

The visitors started brightly as Ntini and Shaun Pollock kept their line and length to dismiss both openers and reduce the hosts to 37/2 before 101 runs were added for the third wicket before Youhana fell, caught behind off Jacques Kallis.

Yet this did not signal a Proteas fightback, as every Pakistani middle and lower order batsman contributed with forthright knocks of their own to set a demanding total of 267/7. Ntini's return was the brightest spot for South Africa, for whom Robin Peterson, Allan Dawson and Andy Hall - who was involved in an unsightly incident with Youhana - failed to impress.

The understrength South African batting wasn't helped by Sami snapping up skipper Graeme Smith in the fifth over, and despite a fighting 89 between Boeta Dippenaar (58) and Kallis (42), the visitors were always behind the 8-ball in terms of run rate and when the off-spin of Hafeez combined with the accurate throwing of Sami to take 4 wickets for 30 runs and reduce the South Africans to 138/5, a miracle was needed.

It didn't come, and after a double strike from Sami, only an unbeaten 38 for the last wicket between Dawson and Ntini saved the Proteas' face. Ntini smashed the final ball of the day for a huge six over long on, but it didn't matter as his team ended a good 42 runs short, Sami ending with 3/20 and Hafeez 3/37.

In response to their batting problems, South Africa have called up Free State batsman Morne van Wyk to their squad to cover Neil McKenzie and Herschelle Gibbs' injures as well as the heat exhaustion being suffered by much of the batting lineup.

Pakistan 267/7 (Yousuf Youhana 65, M Ntini 4/46)

South Africa 225/9 (HH Dippenaar 58, Mohammad Sami 3/20, Mohammad Hafeez 3/37)

Pakistan won by 42 runs

Pakistan lead the five-match series 2-0 after two matches

CricketWeb Player of the Match - Mohammad Sami - 3/20 and two run outs

Posted by Neil