South Africa 184 for 3 (Rickelton 106*, Bavuma 51*) vs Pakistan
Abbas bowled 19.3 consecutive overs at SuperSport Park final weekend for a career-best 6 for 54, took the brand new ball and virtually had speedy success. His first supply hit Markam on the entrance pad and Pakistan thought they’d the primary wicket. Umpire Nitin Menon was unmoved in order that they reviewed however replays confirmed it was clipping the highest of off. Markram survived on umpire’s name.
The primary actual bother for Pakistan got here within the subsequent over when Rickelton edged Abbas by way of the cordon and Aamer Jamal and Ayub chased it from gully. Jamal bought to the ball first and Ayub was readily available to select up the relay fell over and appeared in sudden and extreme ache.
Pakistan’s temper dipped and the following 5 overs value 22 runs, as South Africa’s openers introduced up a fifty-run stand. It’s only their second half-century partnership since March 2023, after Markam and de Zorzi placed on 55 towards Sri Lanka in Gqeberha.
Abbas lastly had the ball taken out of his arms after six overs, which meant he had delivered 25.3 consecutive overs within the sequence, and was changed by Hamza from the opposite finish as Saud Shakeel rotated his three premier quicks. The possibility got here from Khurram Shahzad, who had Markram driving loosely straight to substitute fielder Abdullah Shafique. After three geese within the ODIs and no recreation time since, Shafique was beneath strain and the ball went straight into and out of his arms. Markram was on 17.
No precise injury was completed as, within the subsequent over, Markram slashed at a ball that simply moved away and inside-edged by way of to Mohammad Rizwan. Shahzad stored the strain on and induced an edge off Rickelton however the probability fell wanting the cordon, who have been standing fairly deep. That introduced Wiaan Mulder to the crease, promoted above Tristan Stubbs for this match, however his keep at No.3 could also be short-lived. Abbas returned after a seven-over break and his unerring accuracy discovered Mulder’s exterior edge to present Pakistan a second wicket.
Aamer Jamal was introduced in direction of the top of the session, as was Salman Agha. He’s anticipated to play an enormous position with the ball, after not bowling in any respect at SuperSport Park, and duly bought a wicket in his first over. On the stroke of lunch, Tristan Stubbs stayed again to a tossed-up ball and edged to Rizwan.
Pakistan squandered the chance to maximise their benefit after the break after they caught with Jamal and Agha as a substitute of bringing on certainly one of their strike bowlers. Bavuma bought his first runs when he steered Jamal to deep third and unfurled a sequence of attractive drives to proceed his positive kind this summer time.
Mir Hamza got here on 5 overs after the break and Khurram Shehzad was introduced on after eight overs. By then, Rickelton was into the 60s. Two boundaries got here off Shahzad’s first second-session over and the sting was taken out of Pakistan’s assault. They allowed South Africa straightforward run-scoring alternatives with the sphere unfold and a wide range of lengths on provide.
Rickelton entered the 90s with again to again boundaries off Shahzad and quietly labored his option to 99. He solely confronted one ball within the subsequent two overs as Bavuma stored strike however when Agha bowled one on his pads, he whipped it away to deliver up a second hundred in three Checks. Two overs later Bavuma introduced up fifty off 82 balls and elevated his batting common this summer time to 74.66. The South African captain now has 25 Check fifties with simply three tons of and may eye in the present day because the one to transform.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and girls’s cricket
